Grief and Happiness
by ItalHunni28
Summary: Haley and Nathan have two kids. Haley has been gone for 3 years, when mommy comes back to town can the kids forgive her for what they claim she did? Can the one she loves more than anything forgive her? Naley & Brucas!
1. Player

Looking at the basket in front them, this person makes their way to the free throw line, positioning themselves ever so slightly behind it. The ball comes just above their nose breathing in the cool frosty winter air through their already frozen nose. Their hands are red and dry from being eaten by Jack Frost, but it doesn't matter. Nothing matters when they step out onto the court. The cold goes away, all painful thoughts vanish and the one thing that is in focus is getting this orange piece of rubber into the hoop sitting 10 feet above the ground and 15 feet away from them. Taking a deep breath, the ball is released from the grasp of the frosty hands where it once sat. As the ball goes into the hoop hitting the mesh, this person now wears a smile and goes to retrieve it. Dribbling it as an electric guitar blasts through their ears, all this young one can wear is a smile because all the pain the world has thrown at them has vanished.

While the best dribbling possible is going on, they notice a black car pull up just behind the hoop. They stop dribbling and hold the ball just under their arm, waiting for something to occur. The door to the driver's seat opens and reveals a head of blonde locks. The blondie gives the one with the ball a grin and a shocked look resides on her face.

The one with the ball turns from the blonde woman and continues to make shot after shot not missing a single throw. From anywhere on the court, this one is identical to their father with the attitude of their mother. The kind of flawless many would wish to be. The bitter cold is getting to the player. The blonde sits on the old wooden bench and continues to watch the one dribbling.

Once out of breath, the one with the ball makes their way over to the bench, sits beside the blonde and sighs. The blonde grins at the one with the ball as the one with the ball grins to the blonde. One more breath and the player says…

"Peyton."

The blonde grins at the one with the ball and lets out a small chuckle.

"Nibs."

"You recognized me?"

"No, you father said you'd be here. And when you say you're here, you keep to your word. How are you girly?"

The player squints and gives the famous smirk that she inherited from her father.

"I'm okay…I could be better."

"I'll bet, heard from mommy lately?"

"You mean in the past two years? No…nope not since L.A."

Peyton looks at Nibs with a sympathetic look. She cautiously wraps Nibs around the shoulder with one arm and brings their two heads together. Nibs leans on Peyton and sighs, knowing that in a few moments she'd have to go back to the craziness that is reality.

232323

Nathan Scott runs frantically around the club that his mother once ran a long time ago while he was still in high school. He became part owner when he could no longer play basketball. After his afternoon of running around like a chicken without a head he takes a large deep breath and decides to sit down. He looks through his mail and an envelope with the Duke University crest stood out remarkably in the top left hand corner. He slowly opens the letter and looks at it. He smiles and puts the letter back on the bar. He turns around to face the club that had been his life for the past 10 years. He stands at the center of the club and examines his surroundings. At 38, he still stands there and feels as young as he did when he was 18 with one exception, his wife.

Ah yes, his wife. He hadn't spoken to her in a little over two years. He was so proud of her. Her album had made it to number one about 2 years ago and he did his best to support her. He did all he could and one night had changed everything for him and his 2 beautiful kids.

Jamie was in his final year of college on a basketball scholarship, just like his old man. Nathan stands with a smile plastered on his face as he remembers the day Jamie got the offer. His wife had stood there with him….

"_DAD MOM…HURRY."_

_The voice boomed throughout the large house as James ran through the door carrying the mail. There sat Nathan's daughter at the counter doing her homework as usual. There was no surprise that the daughter of Nathan Scott would be so much like her mother when it came to her studies. _

_Nathan came rushing down the stairs with Haley followed close behind him. Their daughter looking at them with a smirk that she inherited from her father. _

"_A letter came from Duke."_

_Nathan wrapped an arm protectively around his wife's shoulders as Jamie opened the letter as quickly as possible. His eyes glazed the white sheet of paper. A smile crept onto his face then it fell. He dropped the letter on the counter and went and stood by the entryway to the kitchen. Leaving her husband's embrace, Haley went to the counter and took the letter. She scanned the letter quickly then handed it to Nathan. Nathan scanned the letter before looking at his son who wore an "I got you" smirk. Knowing what his father would do, he ran from the kitchen as Nathan chased him throughout the house. He had been accepted on a basketball scholarship._

Now his final baby was applying to go to a decent school and he knows that she can do it. She is 10 times smarter than Jamie and that's saying something because Jamie is as intelligent as they come. Nathan's thoughts are interrupted by his daughter yelling for him.

"DAD!"

Nathan spins to see her walking towards him, closely followed by Peyton. He smiles when he sees his daughter walk to him. She has the same raven coloured hair as him, her eyes are a pale brown with a tint of green. She is a bit more muscular than most girls her age because of her athletic stamina. She stands at a height of 5"8 and all of her features make Nathan smile. She is his little tom boy and he knows boys would never be a problem with her, because they were all too intimidated by her, but she had her share of boyfriends, not that Nathan knew of them though.

As soon as his daughter stands in front of him she gives him a full-fledged smile. Now that was something she hadn't inherited from him. Nope, that smile was purely from her mother. How her cheeks filled her face and she flashed every single one of her pearly whites. And the twinkle in her eyes that let anyone how they were feeling, and to Nathan, at this point in time, what Natalie is feeling is unreadable.

Natalie gives her father a kiss on the cheek as she makes her way to the bar to grab a glass of water. Nathan notices her drenched sweater as she takes off her coat. She gives an almost inaudible cough.

"Kiddo, you gotta be crazy to play in this weather and sweat in the process. What happened to just practicing your free throws?"

"What's the fun in that dad?"

Nathan chuckles and notices Peyton standing before him. His smirk falls and hers keeps looking almost guilty like. Keeping his gaze on Peyton, he calls for Natalie.

"Nibs?"

"Yeah dad?"

"There's a letter from Duke U on the counter, could you look over it while I speak with Peyton?"

"Sure dad."

Natalie grabs the mail off of the bar and heads toward one of the dressing rooms at the back of the club. As soon as she is out of hearing range, Nathan motions Peyton to sit at the bar. He makes his way around the counter and offers her a drink. She declines and he pours one for himself. He looks at her as if expecting her to say something. She sighs and begins.

"Hey Nate."

"What are you doing in Tree Hill? I thought you left to help…you know who."

"I did. I found her. And I am helping her still. Second album is due to come out next month."

Nathan stands there silently drinking. He run his fingers through his already messed up hair. He tries to look at anything other than Peyton unaware of what else might come out of her mouth.

"Nathan…are you okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

" (sighing) She might be touring again. She still hasn't decided."

"Never thought this would happen a second time. I mean I was the one who told her to go pursue this again and I understand that I'm partially to blame, but after that night in L.A…"

Nathan trails off as tears start to form in his eyes. He looks back at Peyton and looks at her confused gaze.

"What do you mean?"

"Doesn't matter now."

Nathan decides to change the subject.

"Jamie wrote to me…says he's coming home for the holidays."

"That's great, when's he getting in?"

"I have no clue, I got a letter today telling me he's coming home, no date or anything. So he should be home any day now."

"You think he'll play for Tric when he comes home?"

"Oh definitely. I think he'd insist that he play."

Peyton suffices a giggle as Natalie comes running back into the room as if on cue.

"JAMIE'S COMING HOME!"

232323

Nathan drives home with Natalie sitting beside him. He looks at his look-alike and grins. She stares out of the window, her head resting on her right fist. She feels a pair of eyes burning holes through her as she turns her attention to her father.

"What?"

"Do you plan on joining us at Tric this evening?"

"Dad, it's a Thursday night and my idiot math teacher decided to give us a test tomorrow because she knows that everyone will most likely skip off because of the holidays. So no, I can't tonight, gotta study."

"Do you ever not study Nibs?"

"Dad…I thought we got rid of the nickname?"

"Never kiddo. I'll always remember you for your shortness and for being scrawny."

"Oh God. I thought the nickname died after I hit that growth spurt."

"You think it would've huh?"

"Oh yeah."

Nathan laughs and shakes his head as they pull into the driveway of their home since Jamie was 3. The two of them notice the black Range Rover sitting in the driveway. Natalie retrieves her school bag from the backseat of the car and the two of them make their way into the house. Laughter fills the area as a youngster runs towards them. Her blonde pig tails bounce as she holds a small doll in her right hand running for Nathan.

"Uncle Nate."

Nathan scoops the 3 year old in his arms as his brother, Lucas, runn for her relieved that she was able to steer clear of the staircase. Natalie passes her father and makes her way to her uncle, bumps his fist before he pulls her into a bear hug. After all of the hellos, Nathan and Natalie realize it to be weird that Lucas and his daughter are the house. Natalie runs from her position by the door and bolts up the staircase to the door on the left where, sure enough, rap music blares through the four walls of her brother's bedroom. He stands in front of his bed with his arms and legs crossed looking at his little sister with a grin.

"Well don't just stand there Nibs, you gonna hug me or what?"

Obeying her brother, she hugged him. She hadn't seen him in over 3 months and missed her big brother. His dirty blonde hair is styled so it stays up and he wears faded blue jeans with greenish, brown coloured T from American Eagle. She releases herself from his embrace as her father stands at the door.

"You know Jimmy Jam, you could've included a date of arrival with that note of yours."

"Jimmy Jam dad? Seriously?"

"Hey, if he can call me Nibs he can call you Jimmy Jam."

Nathan chuckles at the argument between his kids. He leans against the doorway of his son's bedroom and shakes his head. He walks to his son and gives him a hug.

"Okay you two, downstairs when you two have caught up okay?"

"Sure thing dad."

Jamie turns his attention back to his sister and smirks which quickly turns into a smile as he gives her another bone-crushing hug.

"I missed you Nibs."

"Missed you too Jamie."

"Can I expect you at Tric tonight?"

"I wish I could dude, but studying calls. Stupid teacher gave a test tomorrow?"

"Why? No one goes to school on the last day before break. That's stupid."

"I know, but it's her way of getting us there…and what's worse? It's last period."

"Delvin your teacher?"

"Yeah."

"Ah, that's why…oh well, maybe next weekend."

"Definitely."

The two siblings make their way down the stairs and walk in on Lucas and Nathan in conversation about the Bobcats. They turn their attention to the two who had just made an entrance. Lucas leans against the counter as the two siblings walk over to them. Natalie goes to the fridge to grab a drink as Jamie sits at the counter.

"Hey Nibs?"

No answer.

"Nibs?"

Natalie simply keeps quiet.

"Nat?"

"Yes uncle Luke?"

"Your dad says you're not coming to Tric tonight?"

"Nope…gotta study."

"Would mind completely watching Haley for me?"

"Nope. Shouldn't be too hard, all I have to do is put Beauty & the Beast on and she'll be occupied for a while."

"Thanks kid….you're a lifesaver. So you could you get to my house around 6ish?"

"Sure."

"Thanks. Well little brother see you tonight. HALES?"

The little pig-tailed girl comes running into the kitchen with her doll in tow. Lucas picks her up and heads for the door and heads for his home, which is no less than a block away. With the closing of the front door, Natalie turns her attention to her brother.

"So, you playing tonight?"

" Yup..me and the rest of the guys…and girl."

"Ooh…"

Natalie grins as her brother turns a bright shade of pink. Noticing her brother's complexion she laughs a little and he playfully slaps her arm.

"I'm kidding Jamie. So am I allowed to know which songs you'll be playing?"

"The usual stuff…"

"Oh wow and here I thought you were gonna be secretive about it."

"Shut up. Maybe you should come and find out."

"You know that if I could, I would."

"Yeah…I know Nibs."

"Okay buddy I know that you've been outta the house for quite awhile, so let's get one thing straight…Nibs? No longer applies to me okay? As you can see, I'm very sure, that I am not tiny like I was 2 years ago."

"Nat…no matter how tall you are, you'll always be my _little_ sister. The same short girl who is smarter than me and has a pretty good jump shot and a hell of a fade away."

Jamie wraps an arm around his little sister's shoulder and guides her out of the kitchen as she playfully slugs him in the stomach, a small sting for Jamie.

232323

Natalie makes her way up the stone steps of a house even too big to be considered a mansion. Her bag sits on her left shoulder and pushes the little button that sends a ring throughout the house. She can hear the patter of little feet and bigger ones that were wearing a pair of heels. The lock unlocks and the same little blonde, pig-tailed girl from earlier and her mother, Natalie's aunt, Brooke, greet Natalie. Brooke picks the little girl up to keep her from running out of the house. Brooke gives Natalie a smile and steps aside to let her into the house. Natalie closes the massive door and Brooke puts Haley down as Haley runs towards the living room to continue playing with her toys. Natalie follows Brooke into the house and drops her coat and bag near the staircase at the entrance. After doing so, she finds Brooke in the kitchen sitting at the counter. Natalie stops at the entranceway and smiles. Brooke notices.

"What are you smiling at?"

"Shouldn't you be running around the house like a chicken without a head?"

"Why would you say that?"

As Natalie is about to answer the question asked by her aunt her uncle frantically runs into the house. He runs into the kitchen and gives his wife a brief kiss before checking out her appearance.

"Brooke we're going to Tric tonight."

Natalie looks at her uncle, raising her eyebrows and cautioning herself for what is about to happen.

"LUCAS EUGENE SCOTT. WHY WOULD YOU TELL ME AT THE LAST MINUTE? DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG IT TAKES FOR ME TO GET AS GOOD LOOKING AS I DO? THESE THINGS TAKE TIME."

Natalie glanced at her aunt and her uncle trying desperately not to laugh at her aunt's outburst. She silently laughs to herself as Brooke stomps off upstairs to change. When her aunt is out of hearing range, all the laughter she couldn't release is let out.

"Dude, you're in the doghouse now."

Natalie continues to laugh as Lucas stands there dumbfounded.

"You think after being married to her for almost 12 years would get you on track that she likes to know plans for an evening at least 1 week in advance."

Natalie walks out of the kitchen and into the living room to see her cousin playing with a baby doll that came with a stroller. She looks like a little mother. Natalie's mind wanders off to that word, mother. The past two years, she has lived without one and whenever she does think about it, tears threaten to form and fall from her eyes, but she won't allow it. Quickly she turns her attention to her cousin and takes a seat on the comfortable leather couch that faces the television, watching her cousin. After about half an hour, Natalie is interrupted by her uncle.

"Kiddo? Me and Brooke are leaving okay?"

"Yeah sure. Have fun you two."

"Daddy!"

Haley runs into the arms of her father and kisses him goodbye. Brooke then takes her from her husband and plants a big kiss on her cheek as she blows little raspberries onto her cheeks as well. Brooke sets her daughter back on stable ground and watches her run back to her toys.

"Okay, our cells are on at – "

" – all times and if there is an emergency there are numbers on the fridge including police, ambulance, and fire house. As well, your mother's number is on the counter. Uncle Lucas, I've heard this speech many times before and believe me, I've got it. Now go have fun with your wife."

Lucas looks at his niece and daughter. He takes his wife's hand and leads her out the door and they leave for Tric. Natalie goes and grabs her bag and spreads all of her notes on the coffee table in front of her. She grabs her pencil and a few extra sheets of paper and begins to practice trig identities. She looks up from her paper and lowers her glasses as she notices Haley looking at her with an innocent glance. She puts her pencil down and turns her attention to her little cousin and smiles.

"What's up Mini B?"

"I'm booooored."

Okay, many reasons why Haley was nicked "mini B" by Natalie. To be perfectly blunt, Haley was Brooke. The only thing inherited from Lucas was her looks.

"How are you bored?"

"How many times can I put a doll to sleep?"

"Okay. You want me to put in a movie for you?"

The child's eyes light up at the mentioning of a movie. Knowing what her young cousin wants to watch, Natalie puts "Beauty & the Beast" into the DVD player and resumes studying. At 8:00, Natalie decides she needs a break. Noticing that movie is not yet over, she asks her cousin a question.

"This I could use a break from math?"

"Yeah."

Natalie notices that Haley has not ripped her attention form the screen and decides to have a little fun.

"Okay, I'm gonna get ice cream."

Natalie notices that the attention is all on her now as she hears the pitter/patter of feet running towards the kitchen.

"Me too, me too, me too!"

Natalie chuckles and scoops the ice cream into separate containers, one for her and one for Haley. She sits beside Haley and notices that Haley is wearing the ice cream rather than eating it.

"Kid, you have to put it in your mouth. C'mere."

Natalie wipes the ice cream from Haley's face and laughs.

"Go to the bathroom and wash your hands and your face."

The youngster runs from her place in the kitchen into the bathroom, obeying her older cousin's command. As Natalie finishes the dishes, there is a knock at the front door. Natalie exits the kitchen to answer it. As she opens the door, the feminine figure turns to face her. Her expression is unreadable and she is hugging herself to keep warm from the frosty air. Natalie tries not to raise her eyebrows too high from surprise. The woman takes a deep breath and speaks.

"Is Brooke or Lucas home?"

Mommy hadn't recognized her daughter.


	2. Hidden Talents

**A/N: **Okay I'm well aware of the fact that a number of you are a little upset that Haley didn't recognize Nibs, but I promise there's reasoning and it adds to the plot. This chapter is for HJS-NS-23, thanks for the help and welcome to the club…you know what I'm talking about ;) !

232323

"Is Brooke or Lucas home?"

Mommy hadn't recognized her daughter. Natalie stood there trying to remain as calm as possible. She felt a mixture of anger, hurt, and relief even at one point. But then again, Peyton, who hadn't seen her for a year didn't recognize her, but this was her mother. You think that she would recognize her. Her face gave away the fact that she was Nathan Scott's daughter. But, then again, her appearance had changed drastically in the past two years. When Haley left, Natalie was a short girl standing at a mere 5 feet and was a scrawny little thing. She wore her glasses constantly and she had dark blonde hair at the time. Now, she stood in front of Haley much taller than the last time she stood in front of her mother and weighed a lot more on account of her athletic physique, her glasses were still on the coffee table where she last lay them. A little voice broke the silence of her thoughts.

"Nid?"

Without ripping her stare from the bigger Haley, Natalie directed her cousin.

"Mini B, why don't you go finish watching the movie, just press play, you can do that right?"

"Duh."

The youngster began to return to her place on the couch before turning back to the two standing by the door. She addressed Haley.

"You're pwetty."

With a giggle, she returned to her film. Natalie turned her attention back to the woman standing in the doorway. She shook her head. She addressed Haley without expression.

"I'm sorry what did you ask me?"

"Is Brooke or Lucas home?"

"I'm sorry they're not. They're out for the evening."

"Oh…uh…okay.

Haley turned to leave, but a power came over Natalie to stop her.

"I could call them if you'd like or tell them someone stopped by for them?"

"Oh, no that's okay. I think I know where they may be. Thanks anyways."

With that Haley turned again to leave. Natalie watched her until she was finally out of sight. She took a deep breath and returned into the house. She closed the door behind her and returned to her spot on the couch to return to studying, but the event that took place moments before was all the filled her mind. Breathing a deep breath, she placed her glassed back on her nose and cleaned up her notes. She could no longer study, and she knew the material anyway so it did not matter. She watched Beauty & the Beast with little Haley, but her mind was still elsewhere.

"Did you hug your mommy?"

Natalie looked Haley with a questioning face.

"I know who was at the door silly. Haha, it looks like your eyebrows are glued together."

"She didn't know it was me."

"Ouch. It's okay tutor-nids."

Natalie gave her signature smirk and casually walked out of the living room. She pulled her cell phone from her pocket and dialed an all too familiar number. She waited for someone to pick up.

"Hey it's me. Guess who's back?"

232323

Nathan stood behind the bar at Tric giving out drink after drink. Peyton and Brooke sat at a table not too far from the bar as Lucas sat parallel to where Nathan stood. The two of them were in conversation about Jamie.

"I still can't believe your son man. He's exactly like you, but so much like Haley."

"I know what you mean. He looks a lot like her and when it comes to music, his tastes are like mine, but the way he plays, it's all Haley."

Not too far away form where Nathan and Lucas were in conversation, a familiar face entered the club. No one noticed her. "Thank God" she thought. Her jacket still wrapped her body and she wore sunglasses and a hat to disguise her. She took off her sunglasses and laced them in her pocket. She looked at her surroundings and noticed Lucas at the bar laughing at the bartender's back. When the bartender turned around, she gasped. There he was, the love of her life. He was laughing with Lucas. She felt a pang in her heart, there is a hole there now where he used to be, along with her kids. She looked around the club for a sign of Jamie or Natalie. Her search was interrupted by a voice coming out of the microphone.

"Hey what's up Tree Hill? You guys ready for some good music?"

The crowd whaled with cheers and whistles.

"Well, please welcome back to the stage, he's home again for the first time since August., Please welcome back JAMIE SCOTT."

Jamie trotted onto the stage giving Peyton a hug as the rest of his band got into their positions. He sat behind his keyboard. He took a deep breath searching the crowd for the one person he was warned about. About 15 feet in front of the bar stood the warning. He tensed up as he remembered his brief conversation just minutes before.

"_Hey it's me. Guess who's back?"_

"_Nibs?"_

"_Can we cut the nickname please?"_

"_Sorry…who are you talking about?"_

"_Mamma's home."_

_There was such sarcasm and disappointment in her voice. Jamie could hear the anger and hurt in his sister's voice._

"_What?"_

"_She came here looking for uncle Lucas and aunt Brooke. And you wanna know the funniest part of it all? She didn't even recognize me."_

"_Seriously?"_

"_Would I make this up?"_

_Jamie contemplated his sister's words. Natalie was not one to lie, especially to him._

"_Oh my God."_

"_Yeah…I asked her if she wanted me to contact them, but she said she'd know where they'd be. If she's there keep it on the low okay?"_

"_What do you mean 'keep it on the low?' Nats this is insane. I gotta tell dad or uncle Lucas…someone."_

"_If you have to, then do it…otherwise just leave it okay? This family has enough drama for the end of time to see."_

"_Okay. Look, I gotta go, they're waiting for me. If someone asks I'm not gonna lie."_

"_Okay bud. Good luck, dedicate a song to me."_

"_Always lil sis. Bye."_

Jamie shook his and focused on the crowd standing in front of him.

"Hey guys, what's up? It's good to be back home. Uh, this first one goes out to my little sister who could not be here tonight. It's one of her favourites and I know that if she were here, she'd probably be standing in front of me ready to kill me for embarrassing her. The two of us discovered this song and it reminds us of a hard time that we both went through and this song is kind of our way of letting it all go."

Haley turned her attention to the stage where she saw her son standing there behind a keyboard. The last time she saw him, he didn't even know where the A note was, and now he was playing a song for hundreds of people. He didn't look nervous at all. He had the same confident look his father got when he used to play basketball. He placed his fingers on the keys of the keyboard and began to play. Haley was mesmerized by how well he played. The song sounded familiar to her. She sighed and listened to his soft voice fill the place.

_You think your days are uneventful  _

_And no one ever thinks about you  _

_She goes her own way  _

_She goes her own way   _

_You think your days are ordinary  _

_And no one ever thinks about you  _

_But we're all the same  _

_And she can hardly breathe without you   _

_She says she has no time for you now  _

_She says she has no time   _

_Think about the lonely people  _

_And think about the day she found you  _

_Or lie to yourself  _

_And see it all dissolve around you   _

_She says she has no time for you now  _

_She says she has no time   _

_Lonely people tumble downwards  _

_My heart opens up to you  _

_When she says she has no time for you now  _

_She says she has no time_

As the song came to an end Haley felt the tears well in her eyes. She immediately applauded with the rest of the people in the club. She sighed as the applause quieted. She kept her eyes on Jamie as he began to sing another song.

_I'm looking at you through the glass..._

_Don't know how much time has passed_

_Oh, god it feels like forever_

_But no one ever tells you that forever_

_Feels like home sitting all alone inside your head_

Little to Haley's knowledge, someone had been staring at her the entire time James sang.

_How do you feel? That is the question_

_But I forget you don't expect an easy answer_

_When something like a soul becomes_

_Initialized and folded up like paper dolls and little notes_

_You can't expect a bit of hope_

_So while you're outside looking in_

_Describing what you see_

_Remember what you're staring at is me_

Lucas paid attention to his nephew until his wife waved him over to her table. He casually walked over to her and took a seat in the vacated spot where Peyton once sat.

_Cause I'm looking at you through the glass..._

_Don't know how much time has passed_

_All I know is that it feels like forever_

_But no one ever tells you that forever_

_Feels like home, sitting all alone inside your head_

Brooke leaned into him speaking in his ear before noticing what she had seen. His jaw dropped and he wore a surprised look.

_How much is real? So much to question_

_An epidemic of the mannequins_

_Contaminating everything_

_When thought came from the heart_

_It never did right from the start_

_Just listen to the noises_

_(No more sad voices)_

_Before you tell yourself_

_It's just a different scene_

_Remember it's just different from what you've seen_

After giving his wife a quick kiss on the cheek, Lucas left the table and made his way over to where he saw her standing. He kept it stealth.

_I'm looking at you through the glass..._

_Don't know how much time has passed_

_And all I know is that it feels like forever_

_But no one ever tells you that forever_

_Feels like home, sitting all alone inside your head_

_And it's the starrrssss_

_The sttarrrsss_

_That shine for you_

_And it's the starrrssss_

_The sttarrrsss_

_That lie to you.. yeah-ah_

_I'm looking at you through the glass..._

_Don't know how much time has passed_

_Oh, god it feels like forever_

_But no one ever tells you that forever_

_Feels like home, sitting all alone inside your head_

He watched her from behind, making sure that if she turned around, she would walk into him. He stared at the back of her head, only hearing Jamie's voice.

_'Cause I'm looking at you through the glass..._

_Don't know how much time has passed_

_All I know is that it feels like forever_

_But no one ever tells you that forever_

_Feels like home, sitting all alone inside your heaaaaddd_

_And it's the starrrssss_

_The sttarrrsss_

_That shine for you.. yeah-ah_

_And it's the starrrssss_

_The sttarrrsss_

_That lie to you.. yeah-ah_

_And it's the starrrssss_

_The sttarrrsss_

_That shine for you.. yeah-ah_

_And it's the starrrssss_

_The sttarrrsss_

_That lie to you.. yeah-ah yeah_

_Ohhhoh when the starrs_

_Ohhh oh when the starrrrs that liieee_

Again the crowd erupted into applause. Lucas kept his position and glanced at Brooke. He nodded to her confirming that the person in front of him was, in fact, his best friend Haley who he had not spoken to in a while. He try to calm himself as Jamie walked off of the stage. He prepared for her 180 turn.

Haley slowed her applause and realized her sudden thirst. As she turned to make her way to the bar, she collided with a tall, muscular human being.

"Oh, I'm sor-"

She looked up at the one she collided with. She stood in surprise. Her best friend looked down at her with a bitter look.

"Hales."

"Oh my God, Lucas."

He examined his surroundings. Nathan was still behind the bar. He poured people their drinks and kept his gaze on the stage. Sighing, Lucas grabbed Haley's hand dragged her behind a curtain giving them access to get backstage. After Lucas looked around to make sure no one would see them, he let go of Haley.

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm home Lucas."

"What about the second album? Peyton said you might do another tour."

"I turned it down, Lucas. None of it matters. Nathan no longer calls or e-mails me."

"You blame him?"

"What do you mean?"

"L.A Hales."

"What about L.A?"

"The last show you did on your last night in L.A."

"I really have no idea what you're talking about Lucas."

"Seriously? You don't remember?"

Haley became very nervous.

"I would if I knew what you were talking about."

Lucas was about to respond when he saw Nathan walking towards the two of them. Haley turned her head away from Nathan so he wouldn't see her, but Nathan didn't stop he simply walked past Lucas and Haley.

"Luke? How awesome was my son?"

"Oh yeah. Real great Nate."

Nathan jogged past Lucas and went through the door where he knew Jamie would be. Lucas turned his attention back to Haley.

"You really don't remember?"

"I don't."

"Okay. Talk to me when you do, until then, I have nothing to say to you."

Lucas began to walk away before being stopped by Haley.

"Lucas. I came to you because I thought you could help me. I went your house and – "

"Wait what? You went to my house?"

"Yeah."

"So…you saw…"

"Yeah. She's beautiful. She looks like her father."

"And acts like her mother."

"And the pig-tails are adorable."

"Pig tails?"

"Yeah."

"Are we talking about the same person?"

"Your daughter Luke."

"Yeah…right."

Lucas had sincerely thought that Haley was talking about her own daughter who happened to be at his house that night as well, apparently not.

"Look, Lucas. I know that, for some strange reason, I'm not your favourite person right now. And if I knew what you were talking about that made me have such an impression on you, believe me, I wouldn't deny it unless it wasn't true. I'm asking you to help me, that's all. You can hate me if you want…"

"…I don't hate you Hales. Just disappointed. Okay look, I've gotta get going, got a kid at home and I'm sure Brooke is going through daughter withdrawal, even though she's 3. So I'll see you later."

"Thanks Luke."

Lucas hugged Haley and she left him there. He looked after her and waited until she disappeared. Lucas turned and headed towards Jamie's dressing room where Nathan stood there dumbfounded.

"What's up Nathan?"

"_Luke? How awesome was my son?"_

"_Oh yeah. Real great Nate."_

_Nathan jogged past Lucas and went through the door where he knew Jamie would be. He closed the door behind him and looked at his son. Jamie sat in his chair facing the mirror. His leaned his head back, eyes closed and was taking deep breaths. Nathan instantly became worried._

"_Jamie? You okay buddy?"_

_Jamie suddenly became aware of his father's presence in the room with him. He was no longer alone._

"_Yeah dad…just…thinking."_

"_About?"_

"_Nothing important."_

_Jamie lied to his father, not wanting to reveal that he had seen his mother as he performed or that Natalie had tipped him off about it._

"_James, I can tell when something's bothering you. C'mon dude, you can tell me."_

"_Can I?"_

"_Of course you can. What's on your mind?"_

"_Do you think about mom much? Like wonder what you would do if you saw her again?"_

"_Sometimes, but…"_

"…_what would you do? Would you be angry? Relieved?"_

"_What, I don't…where's all this coming from?"_

"_Just wanted to know because you may have to express it."_

_Nathan gave his son a confused look._

"_Mom's back, dad."_

"Did you know Lucas?"

"I just saw her now. She was speaking to me."

"The one you were with just now?"

"Yeah. You okay?"

"I don't know. I have to get back to work. Jamie you going home?"

"Actually, I was gonna go out to clear my head or get it off of the light shed on current event, but if you want…"

" – no it's okay bud. You go. I'll just ask Peyton to check on your sister."

"Dad? She's 17, I highly doubt she needs watching."

"Believe me Jamie she needs it. Just to make sure she's still standing on her two feet."

At that, Nathan turned and headed back to work, or so Jamie and Lucas thought.

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Peyton entered the house. It was pitch black and silent. She walked further into the large house and turned on the light in the kitchen. Then, suddenly, she heard something coming from the second floor. It started low, then the sound began to rise. She heard, strings? She also heard a soft voice singing. Peyton followed the sound and it led her to the door at the end of the hallway. There was a small crack of light where Peyton could see Natalie sitting on her bed with an acoustic guitar. Peyton kept as quiet and she possibly could. She positioned herself just outside the door listening to the guitar being played by her Godchild.

_I've been sitting watching life pass from the sidelines_

_Been waiting for a dream to seep in through my blinds_

_I wondered what might happen if I left this all behind_

_Would the wind be at my back? Could I get you off my mind,_

_This time_

_The neon lights in bars_

_And headlights from the cars_

_Have started a symphony_

_Surrounding me_

_The things I left behind_

_Have melted in my mind_

_And now there's a purity_

_Inside of me_

_I've been sitting watching life pass from the sidelines_

_Been waiting for a dream to seep in through my blinds_

_I wondered what might happen if I left this all behind_

_Would the wind be at my back? Could I get you off my mind_

_This time_

_I've been sitting watching life pass from the sidelines_

_Been waiting for a dream to seep in through my blinds_

_I wondered what might happen if I left this all behind_

_Would the wind be at my back? Could I get you off my mind_

_This time_

Peyton stood and went to walk away, but stepped on a crack which made a loud creaking noise. The door to Natalie's room opened and found a horrified Natalie standing in the doorway staring at Peyton.

"How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough…"

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**A/N** Okay, I think that's good for today. Thanks for all of you who've been reading. I owe this to you guys. And is anyone hoping the thing that Haley walks in on in 5x06 a dream? You know like Lucas had about Brooke in season 2 where he told her he loved her? I am praying that it's something like that, otherwise, I may throw up. OH BTW, the songs used in this chapter are:

Through Glass – Stone Sour

This Time – Jonathan Rhys Meyers (song Natalie sings)

She Has No Time - Keane

Also, next chapter, 1st Naley interaction…

Mommy sees daughter again


	3. Mommy's My Teacher

**A/N**: Okay guys, thanks for the great reviews. I especially liked the one where someone told me Haley's a ……….for not recognizing Natalie. Made me laugh. Anyways hope you guys enjoy and please answer the survey at the end of the chapter. I want to keep you guys as happy as possible. As well, this chapter is very jumpy, trying to keep the suspense, you guys rock and hope you like it!

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_I've been sitting watching life pass from the sidelines_

_Been waiting for a dream to seep in through my blinds_

_I wondered what might happen if I left this all behind_

_Would the wind be at my back? Could I get you off my mind_

_This time_

Peyton stood and went to walk away, but stepped on a crack which made a loud creaking noise. The door to Natalie's room opened and found a horrified Natalie standing in the doorway staring at Peyton.

"How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough…you're really good. How long have you been playing?"

Natalie walked back into her room and Peyton followed her.

"Couple of years."

"No way."

"Yup…right after Haley left, my savings went into buying this baby. Bought a book and taught myself."

Natalie flashed her acoustic and put it back into its case. Peyton stopped her.

"Play me another song. You've got a great voice and your fingers move really well over the strings. You sound awesome."

Natalie chuckled lightly. She looked at the guitar in the case. She breathed deeply and bit her bottom lip, much like her mother did. She sighed.

"On one condition."

"What's that?"

"You tell no one about this."

"No one knows?"

"Nope. I practice when everyone's out or I drive to the Rivercourt and practice on the bench. So? No one finds out?"

Peyton was hesitant.

"…fine."

Natalie smirked and grabbed the guitar out of its case. She sat on her bed as Peyton sat in the chair by the desk.

"So what do you wanna hear?"

"Anything."

"Okay…uh…"

_I was sitting on my doorstep,__  
__I hung up the phone and it fell out of my hand,  
But I knew I had to do it,  
And he wouldn't understand,  
So hard to see myself without him,  
I felt a piece of my heart break,  
But when you're standing at a crossroad,  
There's a choice you gotta make._

_I guess it's gonna have to hurt,  
I guess I'm gonna have to cry,  
And let go of some things I've loved,  
To get on to the other side,  
I guess it's gonna break me down,  
Like fallin' when you're trying to fly   
It's sad, but sometimes   
Moving on with the rest of your life,  
Starts with goodbye _

_I know there's a blue horizon,  
Somewhere up ahead, just waiting for me,  
But getting there means leaving things behind,  
Sometimes life's so bittersweet._

_I guess it's gonna have to hurt,  
I guess I'm gonna have to cry,  
And let go of some things I've loved,  
To get on to the other side,  
I guess it's gonna break me down,   
Like fallin' when you're trying to fly   
It's sad, but sometimes  
Moving on with the rest of your life,   
Starts with goodbye_

_Time heals,  
The wounds that you feel,  
Somehow, right now._

_I guess it's gonna have to hurt,  
I guess I'm gonna have to cry,  
And let go of some things I've loved,  
To get to the other side,  
I guess it's gonna break me down,  
Like fallin' when you're trying to fly   
It's sad, but sometimes   
Moving on with the rest of your life,  
Starts with goodbye,_

_I guess I'm gonna have to cry,  
And let go of some things I've loved   
To get to the other side,  
Starts with goodbye    
Like falling when you're trying to fly   
It's sad, but sometimes  
Moving on with the rest of your life,  
Starts with goodbye    
Na na na na na na na._

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Nathan left Jamie and Lucas in the dressing room. He went to go back to work behind the bar. The club was starting to clear up and he couldn't see the head he was looking for. Asking his partner in crime, Todd, to manage the bar for a little bit. Nathan ran out of Tric and looked around the parking lot. He saw nothing over the hundreds or cars and heads. He ran to where the road began and saw a tiny figure, under the street lights, walking in the night. He took a deep breath and began to jog. Many thoughts flooded his mind while running to her. _Why the hell are you running after her? She wants nothing to do with you remember? _He sped up to get rid of the voices in his head, to shut them up, but they kept coming. _She left, she left and it was because of you…again. She hurt you. Getting into this will only hurt you again. Do you want another reason to break down? Another heartbreak? _Nathan slowed himself to a light jog as he came closer to her. He caught his breath and sighed deeply. He examined this girl's walk. If it were his Haley, her arms would be around her chest, to keep her warm from the bitter cold, that would have been him keeping her warm. She would be walking at a constant pace to think about whatever had happened to her that evening. The one in front of him, sure enough, hugged herself to keep warm and was walking at a steady pace. Nathan walked behind Haley. He stopped. She continued to walk. He breathed deeply, his heart beating like a jet on a runway.

"Hales?"

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_Like falling when you're trying to fly.  
It's sad, but sometimes  
Moving on with the rest of your life  
Starts with goodbye._

Natalie finished the song. Peyton sat in awe. She looked at Natalie and gave her a smile. She couldn't believe that Natalie wanted to keep this talent of hers a secret. She was too good to not exercise it and to not play in front of people. Peyton was so confused.

"Okay. Clearly you're on crack. You are awesome, so can I ask why you don't want people to know about this?"

"It's Jamie's thing."

"I'm not buying it. There's more to it because I can tell by the way you sing. There's hurt, sadness and anger. What's really going on?"

"It's Jamie's thing. Just leave it at that okay?"

"No. Natalie, you are good, dare I say, better than your brother. You have a talent, you have to let it shine…"

"I CAN'T."

"Why not?"

"Because the last time someone let their talents shine it resulted in disaster!"

Tears had begun to fall from Natalie's eyes. Wiped them away with her middle and index fingers. She sniffed. She took a deep breath and sighed. She put her guitar back into its case and shoved under her bed to hide it from everyone. She turned back to Peyton who sat there in surprise.

"I can't do that. I can't do what she did Peyton. I won't let myself do it because I love music so much, but not as much as my family and I won't allow myself to pursue it. I'm too scared that I'll end up in the same boat as her. I refuse to be like her."

"Nats? What did she do that was so traumatizing to you?"

Natalie looked at Peyton. It had been quite a while since she spoke about the night in L.A. Peyton still hadn't known what went on that night. She looked at Peyton with a terrified look. She breathed heavily. She returned to her bed and sat on it. She looked around her room, as if she expected a third person to be listening. She looked at her hands and started to play with her thumbs. Peyton arose from the chair and sat beside Natalie. Natalie looked at Peyton and sighed. Peyton gave Natalie a look as if to say 'go on' or 'you can tell me.'

"Okay…"

Natalie positioned herself so that she and Peyton faced each other. She breathed deeply then let it out.

"…when I was, like, 15, it was a couple of years ago, my dad surprised Jamie and I with tickets to go see her show in L.A. It was her final show in L.A. We were going to surprise her by being down there. We watched the show and, I'm not going to lie, it was literally _the_ _best_ show I've watched in my life. I remember thinking 'my mother kicks ass.' Anyways, after the show my dad and Jamie and me we decided to go back stage to see her. We get to the door where they allow the crew and stuff to get in and out and blah, blah, blah. So we get there and there's this security guard there, really weird looking dude. My dad goes to move past him, but he wouldn't let us through. He asked us who we were and my dad tells him to 'tell Haley James-Scott that her family is here.' So this guy gets another guy to stand watch at the door. We waited for what seemed like a good 20 minutes. I'm excited as hell. I hadn't seen my mother in a year and I was excited like any other kid would be, I mean c'mon how many kids get to say their mom's a rock star? And I hadn't spoken to her in a while either except in a few e-mails. So anyways, the dude comes back to us and says 'she says she has no time.'"

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"Hales?"

Haley stopped dead in her tacks. She was about to turn, but prayed to God that the one person who she was most scared to see wasn't standing behind her. She recognized his voice right away, but hoped that it was her mind playing tricks on her. She turned carefully, preparing herself for what would happen next. She made the complete 180 and was taken aback by Nathan's appearance. His hair was little shorter than she remembered and his fashion sense hadn't changed much either. He was still the beautiful man she loved. He stood there with sadness swimming in his eyes. She could always read him, like an open book. She stood, frozen in front of him. The both of them waited for the other to do something. To any passerby, it would look like they were in an intense staring contest. Nathan ripped his gaze from Haley. He looked at the ground and shoved his hands in his pockets.

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm done Nathan. I miss you guys too much and it's not worth it."

"I've heard all this before Hales. I don't want to hear it again. Tell me the truth. Why are back?"

"I'm not lying, Nathan. My life is here. My dreams are here. My kids are here. _You_ are here. You tell me what's more important than that?"

"To me there's nothing more important, but to you? I'm not so sure."

"What are you talking about? Why is everyone acting like I'm the bad one?"

"You tell me Haley…maybe I should have listened to the little voice inside my head telling me that it was a bad idea to chase you. Things obviously haven't changed."

"What the hell? I'm so confused."

"You don't remember?"

"Okay _this_ is what I'm talking about. Remember what?"

"Your last show in L.A."

"What about it?"

"…unbelievable. You know what? Forget it. _I don't have time_ for this."

Nathan turned and walked back towards Tric. Haley looked after him and sighed. She was so confused. Anyone she came across kept bringing up a night in L.A. She had no idea what they were talking about and it frustrated her to her very core. She wanted to go after Nathan, but her fear and frustration got the best of her as she continued to walk. Tomorrow she started teaching again at Tree Hill High. Funnily enough they had her start the day before the holidays, much to her confusion.

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Peyton looked at Natalie in shock. She couldn't believe that Haley had done that. There was apart of her that doubted Natalie's words, but the she remembered Nathan telling her about a night in L.A. Peyton wrapped an arm around Natalie.

"I'm sorry kiddo."

"Yeah. Well, after that weekend in hell, I took my savings for a car and put it into the guitar and that book, taught myself and wouldn't let myself cry, so I expressed myself through music. I learned all of her songs, I figured if I faced it then I wouldn't feel so sad or hurt. Like I'd have some sort of closure. That theory went to hell, so I stopped playing her songs. Then, one night, Jamie and I were just downloading random songs. We were searching Keane and one of their songs helped both of us, the closure came and now the wound has opened and decided to bleed once again."

"Let me guess, 'She has no time?'"

Natalie smirked.

"Yeah. Anyways, I should probably get to sleep. Got a test tomorrow."

"Right. Okay well, good night and…don't let the fact that just because Haley did what you said she did, make you think that if you play music, you'll end up like that too."

Natalie shrugged and looked at the floor.

"Bye Nibs."

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Natalie parked her car in the parking lot of Tree Hill High. _Seriously, of all the days to give a test, this idiot has to put it on the day where no one comes to school. _Frustrated, Natalie closed the door to her car and made her way into the school. _Only 6 more months of this crap, and I'm outta here, thank God. _She passed the first set of lockers and the tutor center. She headed towards her locker, which was just outside the gymnasium. She input her combination and dropped off her jacket. She then went into the gym and into the locker room. It was deserted, which wasn't surprising. She knocked on a familiar door that read **Coach Scott** and when given the 'okay' she made her entrance into the office. Lucas looked at his niece.

"Hey shouldn't you be in homeroom?"

"Yeah I just had to talk to you."

"About what?"

"Did…did Haley end up at Tric last night?"

Lucas stopped what he was doing. He grabbed his cup of coffee and brought it to his lips, sipped it and nodded.

"Yup. She didn't recognize you huh?"

"Nope."

"It's okay Nibs, if it makes you feel better, if I hadn't seen you in a while, I wouldn't recognize you either. You've changed so much in 2 years. She was probably expecting to see the same short, scrawny blondie you used to be."

"Haha…it's okay I was kinda relieved actually. Don't have to deal with the drama right away you know?"

"Yeah."

The two were interrupted by a knock on the door. In the doorway stood Haley. Natalie looked at her and bit her bottom lip.

"Okay, I'm gonna go, thanks for the talk, see ya."

"Bye."

Natalie left the office and Haley walked towards Lucas. She grinned.

"Hi."

"Hi."

"Can we talk?"

"You okay?

"I feel like I've been sucked into an alternate universe where everyone hates me and I don't even know why. I just feel so lost Luke. Nathan hates me, you won't speak to me, I haven't spoken to Jamie or Natalie, but I'm sure they hate me just as much as Nathan does. I haven't spoken to Brooke..."

"No one hates you Hales. They're just hurting okay?"

"Can you tell me why? I don't have a clue."

"I told you, you have to remember that night Hales."

"I don't remember anything Lucas."

"No one spoke to you?"

"No! The only person I spoke to that night was Rob, the one who opened my show for me."

"Really?"

"Really, really."

"Okay, so then why are Nathan, Jamie and Nibs so…worked up about that night?"

"I don't know. They weren't even there – "

" – yeah they were Hales."

"What?"

"They came to visit you. They never told me what went down, but they were all pretty beaten up about it. Jamie went into the music phase, and he's still in it. Nats went into a heavy metal, tortured writer phase, which she's slowly coming out of, the metal has turned into 'moving on' music."

"I wrote them everyday Lucas. They never replied. I only stopped writing last month. Nathan used to send me pictures of them. Jamie hasn't changed much. Natalie I haven't seen yet, and I want to."

_You have seen her Hales._

"Anyways, Lucas I gotta go. I'm already late. Bye."

"Bye Hales."

Haley left the office, grinning at Lucas as she left. When she closed the door, Lucas stated aloud…

"You've seen her twice, she's not like she used to be."

Lucas shook his head regretting not telling Haley that she had seen Natalie, twice already. He sat in his chair and opened a notebook and started to draw up new plays for after the holidays.

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Nathan awoke from his restless night. His eyes were bloodshot. He had been thinking of nothing, but Haley the entire night. He couldn't sleep because every time he fell into slumber, he'd dream of her, her perfect face and beautiful voice. He'd dream of her lips on his, and then he'd be up again because he knew better than to get lost in a dream, in a world where nothing is true. He had seen her the previous night and she still consumed his every thought. Take now for example, he walked into his kitchen and opened the fridge, he grabbed the eggs to make himself breakfast and he would remember the morning he made her breakfast in bed.

_Nathan woke up with the largest smile possible on his face. His wife slept beside him and her breathing was in even increments. The previous night had been one of sinful bliss. He made love to her in ways he never thought possible. He felt things he knew he could never and will never feel with anyone else. His kids were visiting Grandma Scott, which meant he had his wife to himself for the entire night and the entire morning. He moved closer to her and gave her a light kiss on the cheek before getting out of bed. He slipped on a pair of shorts and moved himself to the kitchen. He pulled the eggs from the fridge and began to make them in her favourite way, scrambled. He popped the toast into the toaster and continued to cook the eggs until they were fried to perfection. As he put the eggs onto a plate to bring to her, a pair of tiny arms snaked him around the waist._

"_You couldn't wait for me to come back huh?"_

"_It sucks not waking up next to you."_

"_I was coming back…with food."_

"_Smells good. Bet it tastes good too."_

"_Try it."_

_Haley stared at Nathan. She moved herself towards him. She leaned into him, towards his mouth and he waited patiently for her lips to touch his. He closed his eyes when heard her grabbing the fork._

"_I'm right, it tastes good."_

_Nathan opened his eyes and looked at Haley. She still stood there chewing on the eggs he made for her. She was wearing boy shorts and his t-shirt._

"_No fair Hales."_

_Haley giggled. She loved to drive him crazy._

"_I'm gonna get you for that Mrs. James-Scott."_

"_Are you now?"_

"_You bet your pretty face I am."_

_Haley ran with Nathan hot on her trail. She ran up the stairs heading to their bedroom at the end of the hall. She barely made it to the door when he grabbed her tiny wrist bringing her to him. He wrapped his arms around her waist as her arms went around his neck. They rocked side-to-side slowing down their pace. She was laughing and his smile only grew. He pulled her closer to him kissing her. They smiled in between kisses. He pulled her closer to him wanting to get her as close to him as he possibly could. He tugged at the sides of her shirt pulling her closer to him. The smiles and kisses continued. He traced her lips with his tongue and soon their playful kisses became more than intense. She pulled herself to him even closer, if it was possible. He guided her back to their bedroom and closed the door to let bliss continue in a way only they knew possible._

Nathan shook himself out of the memory. He missed her, and now she was back, but no matter how much he missed her, he wouldn't allow himself to go back to what he was with her. He continued to cook his breakfast. Jamie trotted down the stairs and into the kitchen where he saw his father stand over a stove.

"Hey dad."

"Hey bud. Sleep okay?"

"Yeah…surprisingly."

"Hey, uh, how do you feel about all this? Your mom being back?"

"How am I supposed to feel about it?"

"I dunno…just wondering. So what do you say bud? You and me hit the Rivercourt today?"

"Sure."

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Natalie walked the halls and made her way into her homeroom. There was no teacher. _Well this is great, the teachers don't even give enough to come to class today. _There were a total of 4 students sitting in her homeroom class. In the class was her best friend Daniel. He nodded to her and she went to sit beside him. She threw her bag on the floor beside her desk taking out her book and sat there waiting for something to happen.

"So Trig test today? Are you excited?"

"Why would you say that?"

"It's a test and you're all jumpy…Tigger-like without the happy. Are you okay?"

"Okay well you remember that thing I told you about Haley James-Scott."

"You mean how she's your mother?"

"Any louder?"

"Sorry."

"Okay well, I was baby-sitting for my uncle last night."

"I thought you had to study."

"I was studying. Will you stop interrupting me?"

"Sorry."

"Anyways I was baby-sitting and who should come knocking at the door, but Mrs. Scott herself?"

"Ouch…you okay? I remember you when you came back from that weekend in L.A."

"Yeah so anyways, that's why I'm jumpy minus happy."

Natalie began to read the book that she ha previously taken out.

At that precise moment, the door to the classroom opened. A tiny female, about 5"2 walked into the room. Her chocolate hair bounced with every step she took. Natalie looked up from her book and went wide-eyed. She leaned to Daniel whispering as quietly as possible without drawing attention to herself.

"Great, now I have to switch classes."

"Why?"

"Cuz mommy's my teacher."

Daniel looked from Natalie to Haley. He took a deep breath with one thought on his mind. _This cannot end well._

"Looks like Anderson's maternity leave began early. You gonna be okay Nats?"

"I hope so."

Haley set her stuff down on the empty desk at the front of the class. She looked the 4 people sitting in front of her. She breathed deeply and began to speak.

"Sorry I'm late. Had to speak with someone."

The four people just looked at her. She looked back and continued being in the awkward position she was in.

"Okay. So I'm supposed to take attendance, but why don't you guys just tell me your names? It'll make things easier."

Daniel looked at Natalie with a worried look. She shook her head as if to tell him not to worry.

"Domenic Grey."

Haley looked at the list of names and her eyes traveled to the G's. She grinned and moved on.

"Melissa Green."

"Daniel Crimson."

Natalie looked at Haley. She took a deep breath. Then Haley looked at Natalie and smiled. Natalie suddenly felt nervous. She gained back her confidence and spoke.

"I'm at the bottom…………under Scott, Natalie Scott."

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**A/N:** Okay, so now we have people knowing about L.A lemme know if you liked the chapter. That end scene was never the intention actually. But, I thought it could work. Okay so I have a few questions to ask you guys:

Would you prefer me writing in Rachel or Carrie as a trouble-maker?

Do you guys want Chris Keller in the story?

Are there any characters you would like to make an appearance?

Do you guys want Peyton to be single or should Jake come in?

How soon should Natalie reveal her secret?

Next chapter sneak peak: Bar fight…between who? I won't tell!

Song used in this chapter, "Starts With Goodbye" by Carrie Underwood.


	4. A Simpler Time

**A/N:** Hey guys…I still love all of you. The replies I'm getting for this are freaking awesome. You guys rock. Keep the great reviews coming and I'll update! This chapter's for 23naley03…thanks for your help and welcome to the club. The cement awaits.

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"Okay. So I'm supposed to take attendance, but why don't you guys just tell me your names? It'll make things easier."

Daniel looked at Natalie with a worried look. She shook her head as if to tell him not to worry.

"Domenic Grey."

Haley looked at the list of names and her eyes traveled to the G's. She grinned and moved on.

"Melissa Green."

"Daniel Crimson."

Natalie looked at Haley. She took a deep breath. Then Haley looked at Natalie and smiled. Natalie suddenly felt nervous. She gained back her confidence and spoke.

"I'm at the bottom…………under Scott, Natalie Scott."

Haley stood there shocked. This was the one who was at Lucas' door last night. Natalie's breathing began to become deeper and deeper. She never tore her gaze from Haley. Haley just continued to stare at Natalie. _It can't be._ The other students noticed the tension between the two, completely unaware of the fact that they were mother and daughter. Natalie grabbed her book and tossed it into her bag. Haley's gaze was still on her daughter. Haley couldn't help it. Daniel grabbed Natalie's hand to comfort her. She looked at him and sighed. She grabbed her bag.

"I guess that's my cue."

She stood, slung her bag over her shoulders and walked towards the door. Before she exited the classroom, she smirked and laughed a laugh that barely audible. She looked at Haley where she stood still dumbfounded.

"Don't look so surprised."

With that, Natalie left the classroom. Once she got to her locker, she pressed her back and slid to the floor, the tears were already falling.

Daniel sat at his desk where moments before his best friend had left the room, hurt. He noticed his teacher had tears threatening to form from her eyes. She had dismissed everyone with the permission of the principle. Haley couldn't handle the events that had taken place within that last 24 hours and now seeing that Natalie was the babysitter from the previous night she had to mentally punish herself. _ How could I have not known? Aren't mothers supposed to know who their kids are? She looked so different. She towers over me by 5 or 6 inches. She's no longer scrawny. There had to have been something._ A throat being cleared interrupted Haley's thoughts.

"Mrs. Scott?"

Haley looked up at the young man standing in front of her. He looked at her through his glasses.

"You're Daniel right?"

"Yeah. Um…are you okay? I mean it must kill you to see Nat."

"You know her?"

"Yeah. I'm her best friend, well one of them."

"Oh. Uh, yeah. You should go to her and don't worry about me, I expected this."

Daniel went to leave, but at the last minute turned to address Haley.

"Just thought you should know, anyone who's angry with you or hurting it's because they care."

Daniel left Haley sitting at the desk. Haley sat there a little longer and contemplated her thoughts. _I should have known it was her. How did I not see it? This cannot be happening to me. Please just let this be a dream, tell me I'm asleep and I'm not here. This cannot be my life._

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Natalie sat in front of her locker, tears silently rolling down her face. She sniffed and wiped the tears from her eyes. Her cheeks were damp and her eyes were red from the salty water that fell from her eyes.

"I was right, you definitely need me."

Natalie looked up and saw her other best friend hovering above her. She laughed and shook her head. Natalie looked at the floor as the other sat beside her. She noticed the tears in her best friend's eyes and the few that had already escaped from them.

"Oh best friend c'mere."

Natalie's friend enveloped her into a much-needed hug.

"You're always here for me. I thought you weren't going to come the school today?"

"Something told me you needed me. It's like I have a sixth sense or something."

"You're the best Molly."

"I know. Don't tell too many people or they might try to take me away from you."

"Very funny."

The two were interrupted by Daniel walking over to the pair of them and made his presence known. He slumped to his butt on the other side of Natalie. He put his arm around her and she sunk into his embrace.

"You okay Nat?"

"Yeah. I'm okay. Thanks guys. This hasn't been the easiest 24 hours. You two are awesome."

"Just returning the love best friend. So you going to be at Tric tonight? Heard your hottie brother's in town."

"Just ask him out already, loser."

"I can't just ask him out, he's hot. Gotta make him come to me."

"Molly, you are something else."

"Thanks Daniel. Most people are something, I'm something else." She gave a smile and giggled.

"Okay you two, I'm gonna go to the gym."

"What about 2nd quarter? Molly and I can walk you."

"I've got free period."

"Oh, right. Okay, Molly you staying or leaving?"

"I'm going. New stuff hit the shelves at the mall today, gonna do some damage. See you two. Nats? Don't worry, wounds take time to heal and good luck on the test."

"Thanks. You're the best."

Daniel and Natalie watched the third Musketeer walk to her car. She pulled out of the parking lot and waved and winked to the two of them. Her car took off in the distance and Daniel turned to Natalie.

"You sure you'll be okay?"

"Yeah."

"So, can I walk you to the gym? I don't want you to be alone."

"Sure Danny."

He gave her a smile and grabbed her hand. She was thankful for meeting Daniel. He always knew the right thing to say and was a really expressive person. The two of them walked in comfortable silence. When they arrived at the gym, Daniel gave Natalie a big hug and kissed her temple.

"Bye bud."

"Bye Nat. You sure you're okay?"

"Yeah."

Natalie opened the door and entered the gym. Daniel watched her making sure that she was okay and then headed for his next class. Natalie walked into the gym and looked around. No one was anywhere to be seen. She put her bag on the bleachers and noticed the rack of balls placed by the door opposite to her. She ran over to them grabbed a ball and began to bounce it. She made her way to the free throw line and released the ball from her grasp. It went in and her therapy began.

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Lucas sat at his desk still trying to create plays that would bring him to the state finals and win it. He was interrupted by a knock at his door. He looked up to find a tear-stained Haley staring at him.

"What's wrong Hales? Shouldn't you be teaching right now?"

"Turner let me excuse them, no one was in the class, and of the few that were, one of them ended up being my daughter."

"You saw Natalie huh?"

"Yeah. God, Luke, why couldn't I recognize her?"

"She's changed a lot Hales. Peyton hardly recognized her."

"But still. She's my daughter; I should be able to know who she is. I can't even do that. I already feel horrible for not being here for them, now you add me not recognizing my own daughter…this is perfect you know? Real solid. I'll have the side order of guilt with the worst mother of the year."

"Hey Hales. C'mon you can't beat yourself up about this. It's okay."

"No, it's not okay Lucas. Wonder what she thinks of me now."

Haley's tears started forming in her eye again. The bell signaling the end of the first quarter went off. Lucas looked at the clock. He looked back at Haley. He knew what the end of second quarter meant. She stood up and walked over to Haley and hugged her tiny figure.

"It's okay buddy. Just hang in there. You'll make it. And in the end you'll have your family back. I honestly believe it."

"Thanks Lucas."

Haley wiped the tears from her eyes and sniffed. She stood up and hugged Lucas again. Lucas looked back at the clock. He remembered something.

"I wanna show you something okay?"

"Okay."

Haley was confused. She had no idea what Lucas was up to, but she followed him anyways.

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Taking a deep breath, Natalie looked at the basket at the other end of the gym. She held the ball in her hand. She removed the sweater she wore and revealed her father's jersey from back in his days when he was a Raven. The number 23 stood out in royal blue on the white jersey. Over her heart, she wore the **C. **She bounced the ball, once, twice, three times. She brought the ball to her chest and held it with her two hands. Still standing there and still looking at the hoop opposite to her. She closed her eyes and saw everything. The first was Haley, the one disappointment in her life. Those words still rung in her ears. _She says she has no time._ Tears formed once again in Natalie's eyes. She took a deep breath to keep them from falling. Sadness turned to anger and all the energy she could muster from that anger sent her into a full sprint with the ball in tow.

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Haley followed Lucas down the halls of the locker room. He made right where Haley followed him down a narrow hallway. He stopped and she almost bumped into his back. Lucas peeked into the gym and saw what he expected. He turned to Haley and brought his index finger to his lips signaling her keep quiet. He peeked through the tiny rectangular window to the court and signaled Haley to look. Haley peered through the tiny window to see a figure bouncing a ball on the other end of the gym. The figure looked angry and looked to the hoop. Haley saw this one close their eyes and bring the ball to their chest. When they opened their eyes, they took a deep breath and sprinted across the court. They moved laterally across the court. Weaving in between imaginary people. The ball bounced in between their legs. The speed of this one would knock out anyone. They made their way to the basket for a left-handed lay-up, a difficult enough task for a righty and, sure enough, it went in. Haley recognized the figure as Natalie.

"She's good huh?"

"Like her father."

"She's better than most of the guys on my team and I'm not just saying that, too bad she can't play like she wants to."

"Why?"

"No teams around for her to play on."

"Oh."

"Okay look. I got you here, you have to go in there."

"Lucas –"

" – Hales…you have to do this. Go on. I know Anderson's schedule, you have a free period right now."

Haley looked at Lucas and sighed. _He's right. If you can't do this how can you set tings right? _Haley nodded and Lucas left her there. She took a deep breath and opened the door.

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Sadness turned to anger and all the energy she could muster from that anger sent her into a full sprint with the ball in tow. She moved laterally across the court. Weaving in between imaginary people. The ball bounced in between her legs. The speed of this one would knock out anyone. She made her way to the basket for a left-handed lay-up, a difficult enough task for the righty that she was and, sure enough, it went in. She stopped to catch her breath. She brought her hand to her knees and looked up and breathed, something she often forgot to do most of the time. She walked over to the ball that had rolled under the basket. She kept breathing, trying to slow down her heart. She walked with the ball under her arms towards the free throw line. She raised the ball above her nose, keeping her eyes on the hoop in front of her. She released the ball and it went in. She ran after it, but not before she heard the door to the gym open. She stopped and looked at the one who entered. She was looking at the same petite woman who had walked into her homeroom class just 30 minutes before. Haley began to walk closer to Natalie. Natalie stood there frozen, not being able to move. Haley stopped two feet in front of her.

"Hi."

"Hi."

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The mesh on the net swished as the ball fell through the hoop as it was released from Jamie's grasp. Nathan ran to retrieve the ball and threw it back to his son. They were playing 21 and Jamie was at the free throw line to get 2 points.

"So? How are you dad? Haven't spoken in a while." Jamie released the ball and sunk it.

"I'm okay, I guess." Nathan threw the ball back to Jamie.

"That's it? No Nathan Scott speech for his kid? Wow." This time Jamie missed and Nathan went to retrieve it to make a 1 pointer and sunk it. He made his way to the fre throw line.

"Shut up."

"No, I'm serious c'mon, tell me something."

"I'm gonna beat you in this game." Nathan smirked kidding with his son.

"Okay…tell me about last night. You seemed upset this morning."

Nathan looked at the floor. His words rang in his head, trying to hurt Haley. _**I don't have time**__ for this._ He had walked away. He didn't want to walk away. He let his anger and his pride get the best of him. Everything else was telling him to go back, but he didn't listen. He was so stubborn. He just walked and kept walking.

"Dad? You still alive?"

"Huh? Oh yeah. Gimme the ball and watch knock down this shot." Nathan missed.

"Okay dad, something's definitely up."

"Okay so I'm not as good as I used to be."

"Dad, you just got other stuff on your mind. Like mom."

"Speaking of her, did you speak with her?"

"No. I left before I could let her, not that she tried."

"It's okay bud."

Jamie stood at the free throw line and sunk in another shot and heard the sound of rubber and mesh colliding. He took a deep breath.

"Dad? I have a confession to make, it's just a feeling, but I dunno what to make of it. I've had it for about a year now. Maybe it's being over-analytical but…"

"James, you're rambling."

"Right, sorry uh, after our little weekend, visiting mom I was so angry at the situation. I had wished that we never had gone there, maybe things would have been different, maybe not but, anyways, I was thinking about it and it didn't make sense to me."

"What didn't?"

"The whole thing about how she said she had no time. I mean she sent us all these e-mails and phone calls saying how much she wished she could see us even if it was for only for five minutes. So when the guy came and told us, I was angry, but then I thought about it. It just doesn't make sense."

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"Hi."

"Hi."

"You're really good."

"Thanks."

Haley took a deep breath. She looked at the floor. Natalie swallowed the lump in her throat to keep her from crying. The tension between the two was extremely thick.

"I'm not really good at this, breaking tension. Usually I begin ramble on about nothing or bring sarcasm into the conversation or a really weird joke that makes absolutely no sense…"

"You mean like you're doing now?"

" (Sighs) Yeah."

Natalie gave a smirk. "I get it. I'm the same way. Usually I start and I can't stop. It takes a while before someone tells me to shut up and then when I do I find a way to start speaking again and…"

Natalie caught herself, "See what I mean?"

Haley took a deep breath. Natalie turned and began to bounce the ball again. She released the ball and missed. She sighed and figured as much. She grabbed the ball and went back to the free throw line, she released it and it went in.

"I'd like to talk to you."

"So talk. But that doesn't mean I'm listening."

Haley sat on the bleachers not too far from the hoop where Natalie shot the ball. She looked at her wishing that anything that came out of her mouth would somehow get to her. She watched her daughter make shot after shot, only missing the casual few.

"Okay, it doesn't matter if you listen to me or not. I just want you to know that I should have been here for the past three years. I should have been here to watch you transform into a beautiful young woman, and I should have been here to watch your brother play the same game that your father loved, and now, from what I can see, you as well. No one thinks before they leap. Usually I do, but when your father put his faith in me, again, I felt like I couldn't screw up. You guys were always there for me and supporting me, but I feel like I haven't done that for you, or anyone else. I had no clue that the three of you came to visit me in Los Angeles and I have no idea, what it is that everyone is claiming I did. If I knew I'd probably admit to it if it was the truth. And finally, I should have known it was you last night…"

"…but you didn't know."

The bell rang to signify the end of the period. Natalie put the ball back on the rack and grabbed her bag, which was right beside where Haley sat. She slung it over her shoulder and walked past Haley.

"Good luck on your test."

Natalie looked at Haley without expression. She turned her head from her mother and left the gym, leaving Haley behind. Haley sat there and buried her head in her hands. She sighed and was about to walk out of the gym when a black object caught her eye on the floor of the gym. She looked over her shoulder to see if Natalie was coming back for it, but she saw no one. She walked over to it and noticed it was a sweater. She grabbed it off of the floor. As she grabbed it, a folded stack of three sheets of paper fell out of one of the pockets. She bent to pick it up and unfolded it. The first she saw were song lyrics. They were written in Natalie's hand. She read the words and at the end of them she began to shed tears. The lyrics weren't finished and she could tell because there were only two verses written.

_Saw you last night  
You didn't know it was me  
Pain re-surfaced at the sight  
Of you standing ardently_

_You wouldn't see me  
You walked away  
From everything you've known to be_

_Now I feel out of place  
Feel like I'm running a race  
When I know I can't win  
Seeing you again  
Makes me lose my place within_

She switched the papers and looked at the second one. These words were typed. At the top she read the words _**She Has No Time – Keane**_ There was a part of the songs that was bolded.

_**Think about the lonely people  
And think about the day she found you  
Or lie to yourself  
And see it all dissolve around you**_

Haley stood there in confusion. She shook it off and looked at the last piece of paper. It was a drawing. Peyton's signature stood at the bottom of the page. It was an old piece of paper. It was turning yellow, but it was still equally as beautiful. It was the four of them when Natalie was a year old. Haley sat on the couch in their living room. Her hair was a little shorter then and she held Natalie who was sitting on her lap. Nathan had his arm lovingly around her and a 5-year-old Jamie was giving his sister a kiss on the temple. The caption at the top was **A Simpler Time.** Haley looked at the drawing and cried. In the light she could see writing on the back of the sheet. There were Peyton's words:

_Happy Sweet 16 Nibs, this is for you to give you a happy moment, to remind you of a simpler time.  
Love Peyton_

Haley continued to let the tears flow before leaving placing the papers back into the pocket they fell out of and walking out of the gym. Her lunch period was almost at an end. She had to find Natalie's class. She roamed the almost empty halls as a few students had returned from lunch. Haley continued to walk when she came upon a classroom and saw Natalie through the window. Cautiously, she knocked on the door. A young lady answered the door in a lab coat.

"Hi, I'm sorry to interrupt I was wondering if I could speak to Natalie Scott."

The teacher called for Natalie and went o the door. She stopped in frustration at the sight of Haley there.

"Okay this isn't stalker-like at all."

Haley held up Natalie's plain, black sweater.

"You left this in the gym. Thought you might want it."

Natalie grabbed the sweater from Haley's grasp and gave her a tiny, inaudible _thanks._ After that, Haley left and smiled slightly. Natalie watched her walk away and returned to her class.

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It was dark. Lights flashed casually and music blared through the speakers. Nathan stood with Todd behind the bar as people ordered their drinks. ID's were being flashed everywhere and orders were piling up. It was a busy night and Nathan loved it. He got the rush of energy, that rush of adrenaline as his hands worked quickly, never messing up. His Tric t-shirt fit him to perfection and his biceps flashed anyone who cared to look. He was so caught up in his work that he didn't see Haley walk in and sit directly in front of him. Things began to slow down within seconds of Haley sitting. Nathan bent down behind the bar to grab a few bottles of beer to stock the fridge with. When he came back up, Haley sat in front of him with a longing expression on her face.

Not too far away from them, Natalie sat on a few steps behind the DJ. She had a full view of the club from the stage. She sat in the wing and watched everyone wait for her brother to take the stage. She wondered what it was like to be on that stage, people screaming your name, praising your talent. She smirked at the thought.

"Think there's a way I could get you up there?"

"In your dreams."

"Haha, very funny."

Natalie smirked. She turned to leave the stage's wing, but was stopped by Peyton.

"Let them shine kid."

Natalie just kept on walking and was stopped by Molly.

"Okay, now that I have _finally_ found you, you are going to introduce me to a beautiful hottie that you call your brother."

"Okay…"

Molly dragged Natalie to the dressing room, but stopped when they arrived at the door.

"You know Molly, when you knock people answer the door."

"You knock."

"What? Why?"

"He's your brother."

"_You_ have the crush on him."

"Please?"

Natalie rolled her eyes and knocked on the door. Jamie answered it and smirked which turned into a smile.

"Hey Nibs."

Natalie slugged him in the stomach and walked passed him and Molly followed.

"Ow."

"I told you to drop the nickname dude.

"Sorry."

"Oh Jamie, this is Molly, one of my best friends."

"Hey what's up?"

James held out his hand and Molly, hand shaking, grabbed it. She examined his piercing blue eyes that he inherited from his father. He wore faded jeans that hugged his waist and a tight black shirt that exposed most of his chest and abs through the material. The handshake seemed to linger longer than expected and then Natalie smirked.

"Clearly I'm no longer here, so I'll just let myself out."

Natalie exited the dressing room and laughed to herself and shook her head. _Typical_. She entered into the main area where the music blared and it you could barely hear the person yelling into your ear. Natalie looked at the bar and found her parents in conversation with one another. She looked on emotionless.

"Want a drink?"

"Sure."

"What can I get you?"

"Club soda."

Nathan smirked and filled a glass without ice. When it was full, he grabbed two slices of lime and set them on the rim of the glass.

"Here."

Haley looked at him and smiled. "You remembered."

"You never let me forget." They got caught in each other's glance, which broke when Nathan decided to speak.

"So, Lucas tells me that you ran into Natalie today?"

"Yeah." Haley sipped her drink and sounded stressed about the subject.

"That bad?"

"It could've been worse."

"Very true. Luke also told me that you bet yourself up over not recognizing her."

"Yup. I couldn't believe it Nathan. I felt like an idiot for not recognizing her. I should have been able to."

"It's okay."

"No it's not okay Nathan. She's clearly broken up about it."

Nathan grabbed Haley's hand for comfort and quickly retracted it when he realized what he was doing. _Don't fall for it again you idiot._ He went back to work and continued to talk with Haley.

"So, where're you staying?"

"I found an apartment not too far from here."

"Oh. Okay."

"What?"

"Nothing it's just…I'm just thinking." _The whole thing about how she said she had no time. I mean she sent us all these e-mails and phone calls saying how much she wished she could see us even if it was for only for five minutes. So when the guy came and told us, I was angry, but then I thought about it. It just doesn't make sense._

Nathan's thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice.

"Well if it isn't the happy couple."

Nathan and Haley turned their heads to see a familiar face from the past. A face that had caused a lot of trouble for them. A face that had almost tore their marriage apart. The voice that possessed the face once told their four-year-old son that sometimes she pretended that he was her child. The face belonged to Carrie, a nanny that once upon a time, was doing a good job, but failed miserably in keeping a family together. Haley felt a pang of anger rise in her.

"What are you doing here?"

"It's a public place, I can be here if I want to."

"They have a service refusal sign."

"That doesn't mean I can't be here."

Haley was becoming frustrated. She got up from her seat and walked to Carrie ending up a foot in front of her. Carrie could see the anger forming in Haley and smirked.

"C'mon Haley. What did I ever do to you?"

"You almost ruined my marriage you little wannabe home wrecker. Do you have any idea what it took to get me and Nathan back on track? What person in their sane mind would tell a four year old kid that they pretended that he was their child?"

"I wasn't going to lie."

Natalie saw Carrie walk into the club and looked on in anger. Jamie had told Natalie about Carrie and how she had tried to tear their family apart. She saw Haley get into her face. She watched from a distance and not knowing what she was doing, she began to walk toward the two women who were bickering.

"You have to leave."

"No. I'm staying, you can't force me to leave."

Natalie walked up to the two of them and stood beside Haley.

"She asked you to leave."

Haley looked to her left and noticed Natalie standing beside her. Nathan walked around on the other side of Haley standing just behind her in case he would have to stop her from doing something she'd regret.

"Well, well, look at this. You're theirs without a doubt. Nathan look-alike. What was the nickname…Nibs right?"

"It's Natalie." She stated her name in a firm way to state that she was in no mood for jokes.

"Oh right. I guess you should be thanking me. You're the mistake that happened because of me."

Something inside of Haley snapped. She walked straight up to Carrie and without hesitation slapped her right across the face.

"Bitch don't _**ever**_ call my kids a mistake. The only mistake we made was hiring you."

Carrie moved towards Haley to retaliate, but Natalie stopped her. She put her arm in front of Carrie as if protecting Haley. She gave a light shove sending her backwards.

"Don't you dare. You deserved it. Mind you, I believe you should have been slapped harder. I believe she asked you to leave, so if I were you, I'd leave."

"Can't fight your own battles Haley? Like you couldn't wear me off the first time?"

Haley moved to slap her again, but felt Nathan's arms wrap around her waist to hold her back. She tried to move out of his grasp, but he was too strong,

"Leave Carrie." Nathan's voice addressed her. She smirked and then left. Once she was out of sight, Nathan became aware of the position he and Haley were in and let go of her. Natalie turned to face Haley who wore a thankful grin. Natalie could only look at her with no emotion showing.

"This changes nothing."

Natalie walked away and left Haley with Nathan who had returned to his spot behind the bar.

"Don't take it personally. She's just, hurt."

"I know. I just wanna make things better."

"The roots are still there Hales. It just takes time."

Haley smiled at the memory of the fantasy draft dates. He had given her the little purple flower to comfort her from the image of their wedding site. She remembered hugging him. Being in his arms was heaven. When he stopped her from whacking Carrie a second time, she felt safer, no longer scared, just in the few seconds she was in his arms. She smiled at him and blushed. _He's still my hero. Stop blushing. Can he even see it in these lights? Damn it's hot in here._ Natalie interrupted Haley's thoughts.

"Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"I thought we got rid of all the whores in Tree Hill."

"What do you mean?"

"Home wrecker number two, your 3:00, my 9."

Nathan looked to his right and there stood Rachel Gattina. Things were about to get even uglier. She began to walk towards the three of them. Natalie tensed up ready for battle number two if it should present itself. Rachel had been trying to grab Nathan's attention again ever since Haley had walked out the door a second time.

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**A/N: ** Okay that should be enough for now. Depending on my time management, I might not be able to update for a few days. Also, I decided to use both Carrie and Rachel in this because a lot of you wanted Rachel in it and a lot wanted Carrie because no one likes her at the moment. As for what she did, I'll let you guys decide and after Tuesday's episode, we'll know for sure. I want to keep the history as true as possible. Thanks for the reviews guys and hopefully you guys continue to read. Thanks. I love all of you!


	5. Pair of Brown Eyes

**A/N:** Hey guys thanks for the reviews. I hope I am keeping people happy, from the looks of it, I am. So without further ado, here's chapter 5. A big thanks goes out to 23naley03…again!

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"Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"I thought we got rid of all the whores in Tree Hill."

"What do you mean?"

"Home-wrecker number two, your 3:00, my 9."

Nathan looked to his right and there stood Rachel Gatina. Things were about to get uglier. She began to walk towards the three of them. Natalie tensed up ready for battle number two if it should present itself. Rachel had been trying to grab Nathan's attention again ever since Haley had walked out the door a second time. Rachel put on a perky grin and walked toward the Nathan where she knew Nathan would be. Haley turned her body to look at Natalie and Natalie raised an eyebrow.

"You might wanna stick around for this, because if she tries anything, I may beat her to a pulp."

"So what do you need me for?"

"I need you to look after my father when they put me in jail for killing her."

"Natalie."

"She's been trying to grab his attention for two years now."

Rachel had ended up taking the seat beside Haley. Nathan turned and she gave him her order.

"Sex on the Beach, with you."

Natalie couldn't help, but burst out in laughter. She had begun to cry from how hard she was laughing. Rachel looked at Natalie with disgust and annoyance. She then put on a fake smile because she knew that if she didn't get along with his kids, he would never go for her. He cared for them too much and would do anything for the brats that he called his children. To Rachel, Jamie wasn't as much of a problem as Natalie because Jamie was never around due to being away at school. Natalie's laugh still rang in Rachel's ears.

"Oh my God. That was a crappy attempt. Oh wow, what are you gonna try and say next? A screaming orgasm with him on top?"

"That actually sounds better."

Natalie only laughed harder. She wiped the tears from her eyes. She looked at Haley, still laughing.

"Okay. You seriously gotta stop because you're killing me. Are you _that_ desperate? I mean you think you give up after he turned you down every time you ask him. You realize he _is_ still married?"

"Yeah, but she doesn't have to know and she won't find out."

"She won't?" Natalie inquired.

Haley just listened. She was becoming frustrated and jealous. She did her best to control the urge to turn around and punch Rachel, square, in the face, but she contained herself. She breathed and that's all she could do.

"No because remember? She left…again."

"Huh…dad? Do you think she would find out?"

Nathan smirked at Natalie and winked at her, which went unnoticed by Rachel. He looked from Natalie to Haley, back to Rachel. Nathan leaned against the counter that stood behind the bar and crossed his arms. He looked at Rachel and smirked as if he was agreeing with is daughter. He raised his eyebrows to agree with Natalie.

"Oh c'mon Nathan, face it. She's gone and not coming back. Last time she lasted only 3 months. You need to release your tension."

"You sure she's not coming back Rachel?" Natalie smirked at her father, which turned into a wide grin.

"Yes."

"And you would know this how?"

"She's not here right now."

Haley could no longer take this woman hitting on her husband. _Can you even call him that? You're not even living with him. You live in an apartment that the two of you used to own. Do you have the right to be jealous? You have every right to be jealous. You're wearing the ring. Is he wearing his?_ Haley looked over at Nathan still keeping her identity hidden. She tried to catch a glimpse at his left hand, but it was hidden in his arm for they were still crossed. She sighed and closed her eyes only hoping that he still wore it and didn't have a repeat of 19 years ago where he came to visit her on tour when she left the first time and found her without her wedding ring on her finger. _I guess if he's not wearing it, it's just as well, I took it off the first time I was on tour. _Haley kept herself under control, but her patience was wearing thin.

"So she's not here right now, that's your way of knowing if she's not coming back?"

Nathan excused himself from the conversation and walked away from Rachel and Natalie. Rachel waited until Nathan was out of earshot and couldn't see the interaction between her and his daughter. Still oblivious to Haley, Rachel walked around her seated form and walked up to Natalie.

"Listen you little…"

"…correction Rachel, I tower over you. Even in your hooker boots, but of course you need them to pick up old, saggy men at street corners at night."

Haley smirked and tried to keep her laughter to herself and saw Natalie smirk. Natalie kept her attention on Rachel, but could see Haley out of the corner of her eye.

"Okay bitch, I pretend to be nice in front of your father, but he's not here to stop from kicking your tomboy ass."

"So why don't you? Scared I might win?"

A look of worry landed on Haley's face. She looked at Natalie as if to ask if she was crazy. Ignoring Haley's worries she continued to wear the smirk that had crawled onto her face moments ago from insulting the one person she hated the most in her life.

"Bitch, your lucky were in a public place."

"Honey _**you're**_ lucky were in a public place, because if we weren't there would be absolutely _nothing_ stopping from beating your home-wrecking, skanky ass out of this place, and believe me, I'm completely capable of doing it."

Rachel went to make an advance on Natalie before being pulled by her jacket by Haley.

"You really don't want to be doing that."

Rachel looked behind her to see who had grabbed her jacket only to find Haley looking at her and making her way to stand beside Natalie.

"Well, well, well. No wonder you had a boost of confidence, mommy's here to defend you."

"Oh believe me skank, she's the only reason why my fist isn't in your face and why your nose isn't broken."

Rachel looked between the two. There was obvious anger in Natalie towards her mother and she could see it. When Natalie mentioned Haley the first time, it had been with such derision and disappointment. She knew exactly how to push her buttons.

"So Haley tell me. How does it feel to have a kid who hates you and a husband who is out of love with you? I mean he doesn't even wear his ring anymore. And judging by your left hand, you do. How does it feel to know you're the only one in that relationship? If you can even call it that. How does it feel that you'll never hear Natalie call you 'mom' again?"

Haley went to hit Rachel, but was stopped by someone grabbing her arm.

"Don't. You had your fun tonight, let me."

Natalie had curled her right hand to form a fist and it landed right on Rachel's nose. Rachel grabbed her nose to stop the blood from coming out.

"_**That**_ is for lying to Haley about the wedding ring."

She punched Rachel across the left side of her jaw.

"_**That**_ is for calling me a tomboy."

Natalie made things even with Rachel's jaws by evening it out and punching the other side. She grabbed Rachel's chin with her left hand and shifted Rachel's gaze so that it was on Natalie.

"And _**that**_ is just for fun."

Natalie smirked and watched Nathan return. He saw the smirk on Natalie's face. Haley stood there dumbfounded, completely surprised by Natalie's actions. Nathan turned his attention from Natalie to Rachel and he noticed her bleeding nose.

"What the hell happened?"

"She did this to me."

"Who?"

"Your daughter."

Rachel spat out Natalie's title as if it was some sort of infectious disease. Nathan looked at Natalie in disbelief. This was the first time Natalie had ever done something impulsive and it was also the first time she had gotten into a physical scrap with anyone. Nathan looked from Natalie, to Haley and his gaze landed on Rachel.

"Rachel? You have to leave."

"What?"

"You heard me. Get out of here or I'll call security and make sure your not allowed in here again."

People watched the scene take action. They had been paying attention ever since Nathan had left his post at the bar. Brooke and Peyton watched from their table and decided to keep out of it as Natalie had made them promise in previous years. The both of them knew that Natalie wanted to fight this battle solo, even though they knew that she would have a partner in crime. They figured Nathan or Molly would aid Natalie; none of them thought Haley would be the one to come to the rescue because she wasn't present. Nathan glared at Rachel and did so until she budged from the spot she stood in and walked in the opposite direction. As she walked, she came to a stop and returned to Nathan and planted a kiss on his mouth. He pushed her off of him, but she only looked at Haley with a look of victory in her eye, even though she had failed miserably. Natalie looked at her with a death glare, ready to punch her again, but Haley stopped her. Rachel walked out of the club with a smirk on her face, knowing she had hit the spot that would send the nerves in Natalie and Haley overboard. Everyone went back to their conversations as Nathan turned to look at Haley and Natalie. He wiped Rachel's blood from her nose off of his face and looked at Natalie and spoke.

"Dressing room in the back, **now.**"

Natalie looked at him and rolled her eyes, but knowing that she would make matters worse for her if she argued. She walked towards the dressing rooms backstage. Nathan made his way back around the bar and went to the sink. He washed his face and hands and Haley stood before him.

"That's the first time she's done anything violent. I dunno what got into her."

"It's not her fault Nathan, she was provoked."

"Doesn't matter. She knows better than that."

"She was defending herself. She was defending your honour."

"And yours."

"Yeah, and I don't even know why. She hates me."

"No she doesn't. She's angry with you, but that's it."

"I still dunno why she helped me…twice."

"Remind you of anyone?"

Haley looked at Nathan and shook her head, no.

"You, Hales."

"Me?"

"Yeah. As I remember, about 20 years ago, you helped someone you didn't like."

Nathan smirked as he spoke of himself. Haley grinned at the memory, but then her smile faded.

"Yeah, but that was conditional. You had to leave Lucas alone."

"Yeah, but then there was Rachel with calculus, senior year. You didn't like her, but you still helped her out."

Haley looked at the floor. His words were full of truth. He wiped his face and hands and began to walk towards the dressing room where Natalie waited for him.

"Where're you going?"

"Going to have a talk with our daughter."

Haley decided to follow him. He stopped and looked at her.

"Where're you going?"

"I was going to speak with Jamie."

Nathan let out a quiet 'oh' and the two of them continued to walk in the same direction. Nathan pointed her in the direction of Jamie's dressing room. She nodded and gave him a small 'thanks' as she continued to walk down the hallway and Nathan entered the other dressing room where Natalie sat in the chair that faced a mirror. He shut the door behind him and leaned against it. He crossed his arms and nodded as if he waited for an explanation for her actions. She turned to look at him and stood. She made her way so that she stood in front of the chair that she had vacated.

"Natalie?"

"Dad?"

"What the hell happened?"

"I'm sorry okay? She provoked me and started insulting me and Haley."

"Mom." He corrected her.

"What?"

"Not 'Haley.' Mom,"

"…" Natalie stood in silence. "It's not so easy dad."

"I know, but she is your mother none the less." Nathan walked over to the loveseat that was placed against one of the walls in the room. He sat in it and placed his elbows on his knees. "I'm surprised at you Natalie."

"I know."

"When I heard there was a fight between you and Rachel at the bar, I thought someone was playing a sick joke on me because I knew that you would never do something like that. I get there and it's not a joke. I have people coming in and out of here, cops sometimes. What if something would've happened? People may never come back here with the stunt you pulled tonight!"

"Would you rather have me let her insult us, our family, like that?! You're the one who told me to not let anyone step on you or crush you like a bug that didn't deserve to live! You would rather have me be stepped on than lose a few bucks? Get a grip dad!"

Nathan looked at his daughter in shock. Retaliation was never her strong point, but he did see the truth in her words. He sighed and rubbed his eyes. She walked over to him and sat beside him.

"I'm sorry dad."

He put his arm around his kid and grinned. "It's okay. Just wanna make sure you're okay."

"I'm fine."

"I meant your hand. Rachel's nose looked pretty bad." Nathan grabbed Natalie's right hand and she smiled and giggled. Her knuckles were red from the small amount of blood that trickled from them.

"Yeah, I'm fine and I'm sure Rachel will be too. At least now she has a reason to get her nose done."

Nathan tried not to laugh, but was unsuccessful. He pulled his daughter towards him and placed a kiss on her forehead.

"I love you kid."

"Love you too, dad."

Nathan got up from his spot and Natalie followed.

"Okay, now for punishment, after we clean up your hand, you are going to help me with the juice bar…"

Natalie groaned.

"…and tell me about a 'Daniel Crimson,' who kept calling the house today after school, while you were at the River Court."

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Haley left Nathan at the door to where he would find Natalie. She continued to walk down the hall to the door at the end of it one the left. She stopped in front of the door and took a deep breath. She raised her shaky fist and gave a soft knock on the door. From outside, she could hear girly giggles and she heard footsteps and the door opened. Haley found herself looking up at her son. He had changed a little, not as much as Natalie. His hair was a little bit darker and he still had his father's blue eyes. He leaned in the doorway as the girl behind him had calmed down her laughter and her face went into excitement.

"Oh my God, you're Haley James-Scott."

Haley smiled at the girl and nodded. The girl got up from her spot and walked over to her. This girl had a smile on her face even too big for an over-excited person. She held out her hand for Haley to shake.

"I'm Molly and I'm a **huge** fan."

"Hi Molly." Haley shook her hand as Molly still grinned like an idiot. Jamie looked at her and smirked.

Molly stood in front of Haley with Jamie standing beside her. She looked between the two and took the silent hint that they both gave to her.

"Okay, Ill go find Natalie, something tell me she needs me, see you later Jamie." She moved to exit the room and flashed Haley another smile, "Nice to meet you Mrs. Scott."

"You two, Molly."

Molly exited the room and closed the door behind her. Jamie stayed in his spot as did Haley. She took a deep breath and tried to look at anything other than her son, but was unsuccessful. Jamie stood there just looking at her. _It didn't make sense. She couldn't have said what she said._ Jamie heard the voice in his head and decided to listen to it. To him, that night made absolutely no sense. Haley brought him out of his thoughts.

"I suppose you are feeling the same way as your sister, father and anyone else who knows me?"

"What do you mean?"

"Anger, pain, hurt..."

"…I'm not angry with you."

"You're not?"

"I hope I'm not."

Haley looked confused.

"I hope that night didn't happen…I mean it happened just I hope it didn't happen like it did. Like there's a hidden plot somewhere."

"Okay. Um, I wanna ask you something."

"Shoot."

"What happened that night? I mean, people tell me you guys came to see me, which I didn't know about, but no told me what I supposedly did."

"(sigh)…okay."

Jamie motioned Haley to the couch that he and Molly had previously vacated. She turned her body to face him and he rested his elbows on his knees.

"Now, if you tell me that all of this isn't true, then I'll believe you because then I'll know my instincts were correct."

"Okay."

"Okay…now remember, no matter how much this may kill me, you have to tell me the truth. Promise?"

"I promise."

"Okay…well, Dad surprised Nat and me with tickets to the show. Now they weren't the best seats, but I remember every minute of that show. Every song, I felt proud."

Haley smiled a grin full of thanks and appreciation.

"Anyways, after the show, dad took us back stage so we could see you. We wanted to surprise you, so went backstage. We tried to get past this security guard, but he wouldn't let us through. So, dad tells him to tell you that your family was there to see you. So the guy calls this other guy to stand guard and he disappeared for 20 minutes and then came back. He comes back and says 'she said _she has no time._"

Haley looked at Jamie with a look of disgust. She couldn't believe it. She rose from her spot and walked towards the other end of the room. She gasped in disbelief.

"Jamie I would never say that. Whatever I was doing, I would've dropped everything and came to see you guys. I would never do that, I would **always** find time for you guys."

"I know. I _was_ right."

There was a knock at the door. It was Natalie.

"Dude, they're ready for you."

"Okay Nibs, um sorry, Nats."

"Doesn't matter."

"How's your fist?" Haley asked her.

"Fist?"

Natalie flashed her fist and grinned.

"My sister in a fist fight?"

"No, your sister's fist in Rachel's face."

"Nice."

Natalie smirked and winked at her brother and left them as they were. Jamie looked from the door back to Haley.

"You sticking around for good?"

"Yes."

"Good." Jamie smirked and grabbed his mother. He gave her a hug. He rested his chin on her head. She smiled and teared a little and wrapped her arms around his waist. She laughed.

"I can't believe how tall you are. Forgot how tall you were."

Jamie laughed slightly. He released her and went towards the door. He opened it, waiting for her to walk out of the room. He smirked at her and she left the room and he closed the door. He was smiling on the inside. He knew that, that night couldn't have happened as it did. There was a missing plot and he was going to find out what it was.

232323

Haley made her way back to the bar and sat on one of the stools. She was far from where Nathan stood, but she could still see him, and him her. Haley looked at him, but quickly tore it away from him when he noticed her looking at him. He smirked and listened to Peyton.

"Hey guys, please welcome back JAMIE SCOTT."

Jamie walked on stage and stood behind the keyboard. He waved to the crowd and gave them his infamous smile and the crowd calmed down.

"So, um while I was away at school, a lot of people knew who I was and a lot would ask me how my father was doing. It's funny how people can know so much about your life and I knew that they were asking about my dad because of a certain event that occurred and I won't say what that was because it's no one's business. But, anyone with eyes could see that my dad was hurt, so either being the concerned or nosy individual that they were, asked how he was doing. I never knew what to say, then I came across a pretty old song sung by a Canadian rock band from the 90's. And it seemed to fit how my father was feeling. So dad, this one's for you."

Jamie looked at Nathan and him and his band began to play.

_Here we go again  
Well I can't hold it anymore  
I can't undo the pain  
The pain has knocked down this old door  
I don't know what to do  
I don't know what to do  
About you_

**Nathan looked at Jamie as he sang the first verse. He was reminded of his feelings of the night in L.A. He looked at Haley and noticed that she was staring intently at her son. He looked at her with such longing that it killed him to not be able to hold her in his arms. He reluctantly tore his gaze from her and continued to watch his son.**

_It's written all over my heart  
My soul  
Well I can't let her know  
I can't let it show  
I can't let it go  
It's written all over my heart and soul  
And if I could I'd let her know  
I'd let her know_

**Haley looked at Nathan and saw his looking at Jamie. She had tears in her eyes. She wanted so much to tell him what was on her mind and how he was mistaken to think that she didn't want to see them that night. She looked at Jamie again.**

_Well here we go again  
Well I can't make it on my own  
Where do I begin  
When I feel so all alone  
I don't know what to do  
I don't know what to do  
About you_

**Nathan couldn't help, but to keep thinking of Haley and Jamie's words still floated around in his head. **_**It just doesn't make sense.**_** Nathan kept thinking about those words, but his anger got the best of him and ignored them, but no matter how hard he tried, he wanted to believe his son.**

_It's written all over my heart  
My soul  
Well I can't let her know  
I can't let it show  
I can't let it go  
It's written all over my heart and soul  
And if I could I'd let her know  
I'd let her know_

_Well I can't seem to face it  
Oh, that I am here  
And you are there  
And you don't seem to really care  
Well you can't seem to face it  
Oh, what's left of me  
Is for you to see_

**Haley listened to the panging words that had just left her sons mouth. **_**What's left of me, is for you to see.**_** Those words described what she knew of Natalie's feelings towards her. As a matter of fact, they seem to fit Nathan too. Nathan. She had to tell him and she had to get to the bottom of her problem.**

_It's written all over my heart  
My soul  
But, I can't let her know  
I can't let it show  
I can't let I go  
It's written all over my heart and soul  
And if I could I'd let her know  
I'd let her know_

It's written all over my heart

**Nathan looked at Haley once again. It took him a while to notice that the song that his son sang described him. If he could let Haley know that he still loved her, he'd let her. But his pride was stopping him. He froze when he saw her looking back at him and they both listened to Jamie's voice while still maintaining eye contact. **

_It's written all over my heart and soul  
If I could I'd let her know  
I'd let her know  
I'd let her know  
Let her know  
Let her know_

The music came to an end and Haley and Nathan tore their gazes from each other and joined in with the rest of the crowd in applause. Natalie had noticed the tension between the two of them during Jamie's performance and caught all of their glances between each other. She shook off the feeling of anger in her. Earlier that day, she was being cold-hearted, almost inhuman towards Haley. Now, she looked at her with the same amount of disdain, but she almost felt sorry for her. Natalie didn't know what to think about Haley anymore. She was neither happy nor sad, neither angry nor confused. She decided to just accept the fact that she may stay, or she may leave and if the latter occurred, then she would deal with it. When the crowd's applause died down, Natalie looked at her watch and decided to call it a night.

"Dad? I'm gonna head out."

"It's only 9:00."

"I know, but I just don't wanna be here."

"Okay kiddo. See you at home."

Natalie left her place from behind the juice bar. She made her way towards the exit and was stopped by Haley.

"Hey, you leaving?"

"Yeah, I'm not feeling too well."

"You want me to come with you?"

"No, no it's okay. Um, you should watch Jamie."

"Okay, you sure?"

"Yeah."

Natalie went to leave, but Haley said her name and caught her attention.

"Natalie? Thanks."

Natalie nodded with a confused look on her face and headed out of Tric. She made her way across the parking lotto her car. She got into the car and just sat there. She put her hands on the steering wheel and dropped her forehead on the back of her hands. She inhaled and held her breath. She picked up her head and exhaled. She looked at her reflection in the rearview mirror. Tears had started to form, yet again. She looked in her backseat and saw her guitar case. _Shit. _She had forgotten to put it in her trunk. _What if someone recognized the car and saw it? _She shook the thought and drove to her sanctuary. As she drove, she turned on the radio. The song from her childhood blared through her radio. It described her in this moment.

_Part of me laughs  
Part of me cries  
Part of me wants to question why  
Why is there joy  
Why is there pain  
Why is there sunshine then the rain  
One day you're here  
Next you are gone  
No matter what me must go on  
Just keep the faith and  
Let love the way  
Everything will work out fine  
If you let love  
Let love lead the way  
_

232323

Nathan stood behind the bar, still contemplating his past, present and future. He wanted Haley to be there, and he wanted his son's theory to be correct, but he was unsure. Was it such a crazy thing to believe that his wife didn't want to see him? That she had no time? He looked around for anyone to talk to. Lucas had left Brooke with Peyton to get home to the little one. He looked at where Haley was. She was gone. He looked where Brooke was. She was gone.

232323

Natalie parked her car on the grass near the River Court. She reached into her backseat and grabbed her guitar case. She moved over to the bench and took it out.

_Your subtleties __  
__They strangle me  
I can't explain myself at all.    
And all that wants    
And all that needs    
All I don't want to need at all.   _

_The walls start breathing    
My minds unweaving    
Maybe it's best you leave me alone.    
A weight is lifted    
On this evening    
I give the final blow.   _

_When darkness turns to light,    
It ends tonight    
It ends tonight.   _

_A falling star    
Least I fall alone.    
I can't explain what you can't explain.    
Your finding things that you didn't know    
I look at you with such disdain   _

_The walls start breathing    
My minds unweaving    
Maybe it's best you leave me alone.    
A weight is lifted    
On this evening  
I give the final blow.   _

_When darkness turns to light    
It ends tonight,    
It ends tonight.    
Just a little insight will make this right,    
It's too late to fight.    
It ends tonight,  
 It ends tonight.   _

_Now I'm on my own side    
It's better than being on your side    
It's my fault when your blind    
It's better that I see it through your eyes     
All these thoughts locked inside    
Now you're the first to know _

_When darkness turns to light    
It ends tonight,    
It ends tonight.    
Just a little insight will make this right,    
It's too late to fight.    
It ends tonight,  
 It ends tonight.   _

_When darkness turns to light    
It ends tonight,    
It ends tonight.    
Just a little insight will make this right,    
It's too late to fight.    
It ends tonight,  
 It ends tonight._

Natalie finished her song. What she didn't know was that there was a pair of brown eyes watching and hearing her the entire time.


	6. Jumping to Conclusions

**A/N:** Hey guys. Thanks for the reviews for the last chapter, I didn't put an A/N at the end cuz I had to be somewhere so…in the last chapter, there were 3 songs used. Jamie sang **Written All Over My Heart **by the Moffatts. Natalie sang **It Ends Tonight** by All-American Rejects and the song in Natalie's car was **Let Love Lead the Way **by the Spice Girls. And speaking of the Spice Girls, I watched the show on Feb. 3rd and it was the BEST FRIGGING SHOW EVER! Okay so that's my rant and let's see who saw Natalie. P.S I started a club for anyone who wants to beat up on Carrie in the show. Lemme know if you'd like to join and yeah we're gonna advance on her VERY soon! She better watch her back. ;) :P :

232323

_When darkness turns to light  __  
__It ends tonight,  __  
__It ends tonight.  __  
__Just a little insight will make this right,    
It's too late to fight.    
It ends tonight,  
It ends tonight._

Natalie finished her song. What she didn't know was that there was a pair of brown eyes watching and hearing her the entire time. The one who possessed the brown eyes sat in their car, just hiding themselves from Natalie. Natalie finished her song and put the guitar back into its case. She looked up at the sky and saw a single star blinking back at her. She exhaled and could see her breath floating in the night sky. She leaned back on her hands, still sitting on the bench. This was the place where she felt safe, her home away from home, her happy place, her oasis. She looked at the hoop to her left and recalled a day when she remembered being happy. It happened on that very court, under that very hoop. Natalie was 6 and Jamie was 10.

"_Ready buddy? Come get it."_

_Nathan and Jamie were playing basketball. Jamie defended the hoop as Nathan made an attempt to get around him. Jamie swiped the ball from his father's grasp and went to the middle of the court to 'clear' it. Jamie did a zig-zag dribble and moved his way around his father and went in for the lay-up._

"_Oooh! Daddy I thought you said you were good."_

_Nathan looked at the little six-year-old sitting in Haley's lap. He smirked and grabbed the ball and dribbled over to her. He bent down slightly to be at eye-level with his daughter._

"_Okay hot-shot, let's see you do better."_

_Natalie giggled as he tickled her. Her laughter grew with every tickle. She calmed down as he stopped.._

"_Don't be silly daddy. I'm gonna play guitar like mommy."_

_Haley hugged Natalie tighter in her arms, never wanting to let her go. She rested her chin on the top of her daughter's head and a large smile crept across her face. Nathan looked at Haley. Noticing her parents eye lock, Natalie took an opportunity. She loosened her mother's grip around her and yanked the ball from Nathan's grasp and dribbled her way to the net. She stopped about a foot in front of the hoop, took a shot and sunk it. Jamie started to wail with laughter._

"_Told you Daddy. I rock!"_

"_Haha. She didn't even do it granny style dad."_

_Jamie still laughed as he saw Natalie stick up her thumb, forefinger and pinky high in the air proudly. Haley laughed at the sight and Nathan looked from Natalie to Haley._

"_Oh you think that's funny?"_

"_Yes."_

"_Oh really?"_

"_Yeah."_

_Nathan grabbed Haley by the waist and slung her over his shoulder. He carried her around the court. She cried for him to put her down and he wouldn't have it. He ran towards his kids and saw them laughing._

"_What do you think guys? Should I put mommy down?"_

_Haley nodded her head at her kids to get them to say 'yes'. _

"_No dad."_

"_Daddy put mommy down."_

"_Now why would I do that?"_

_Natalie ran to her father and whispered something in his ear._

"_That's very true. Good job smarty-pants."_

"_Thank you."_

_Nathan put Haley down and she began to slap him. Jamie and Natalie giggled their cute little faces off and continued to watch their parents. Haley continued swatting Nathan, but he just grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him. She tried to pull away from him, teasing him like he did her, but he was much too strong. He pulled her head towards him and he landed his lips on hers, making her weak._

"_EWW!" Jamie caught a glimpse of them and Natalie only continued to laugh. Nathan and Haley broke apart and turned a bright shade of red. _

"_See mommy? I told you daddy would fall for it. You're his weakness. Daddy's gullible."_

"_Are you even old enough to know that word?"_

"_Mommy taught it to me."_

"_You definitely don't have my brains."_

"_You're right."_

"_Yeah, my daughter takes after mommy right angel?"_

"_Yeah mommy."_

_Natalie ran to Haley as Haley scooped her up in her arms. Natalie's arms went directly around Haley's neck and pulled Haley's face to her own and planted a kiss on her mother's cheek. Nathan watched his daughter and Haley and smirked slightly._

"_Are you jealous daddy?"_

_Jamie looked up at his father and grinned._

"_Why would he be jealous?"_

"_Cuz mommy's holding me and not you." Natalie stuck her little tongue out._

_Nathan walked over his wife and child and kissed Haley lightly and muttered one word._

"_Very."_

Natalie brought herself out of her flashback. She had begun to tear again. She looked at the guitar case to the left of her and stood up. She grabbed it and turned to see the one who possessed the brown eyes looking at her she froze. Natalie's eyes were still wet from crying. The brown eyes stared back at her and the owner of the brown eyes spoke to her.

"You're good."

232323

Tric was clearing out. Nathan continued to wipe down the counter. There were few people left in the club. Nathan looked up from the bar and saw Jamie walking towards him. Jamie sat down and rested his elbows on the countertop. He rubbed his eyes and looked at his father,

"Coffee?"

"Please?"

Nathan smirked and dropped the cloth and went to grab the pot behind him. He grabbed a cup from under the counter and poured the hot liquid in it. Jamie grabbed the cup and sipped it black. He needed it strong and plain. He took the cup away from his lips and watched as his father continued to clean the bar and put away glasses.

"I spoke to mom."

Nathan almost dropped a glass at the mention of Haley.

"Calm down dad, I only mentioned her."

"And?"

"I believed her when she said she didn't know we were there."

"She told me that."

"And I told her about what the security guard said."

"And?"

"…and she went ballistic…almost. She was in shock. There was no way she could've known. She was pissed that no one told her we were there."

Nathan looked from the glass in his hands t his son. He sighed. _She didn't know? I've been angry for nothing?_ Nathan shook off the thought. His anger had now been replaced by anger. He looked at his left hand. His wedding band shone back at him. Although Haley angered him that night, he refused to take off his wedding band. He guessed a part of him always believed that Haley didn't say what he believed she said for the last 2 years. He looked around and saw that everyone was now gone, including the employees.

"Well, well Nathan Scott." Nathan turned his attention to the one standing to his right.

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"You're good."

Natalie froze in her place. The brown eyes stared back at her. _Shit, another one to worry about._ Natalie looked back at who she had been caught by and put her case on the ground. She tried to control her breathing, twice in two nights she was caught and her secret was discovered. _So much for keeping it a secret._

"What are you doing here?"

"I followed you."

"Of course you did."

"Are you okay?"

"No…I need you to keep what you saw and heard a secret."

"Why?"

"Because I'm not supposed to have this okay? It's Jamie's thing."

"Natalie."

"Promise me…please."

"Fine."

"Thank you."

"But, please don't keep it inside for too long. It's not healthy."

Natalie scrunched her eyebrows. "Okay."

"Can I give you a ride home?"

"I got my car."

"Oh, right."

Natalie picked up her guitar and went towards her car. She stopped and turned around. She put down her guitar case and hugged the one with the brown eyes. She pulled out of the embrace.

"Thanks Aunt Brooke. I needed the hug."

"No problem sweetie. You should come by the house again sometime soon. The little one wants to see you again, even though you saw her last night."

"Yeah, you tell her I'll see her tomorrow when I get off of work okay?"

"Okay Nats."

Natalie grabbed her case and headed toward her car. She looked back at Brooke and smirked. She threw the guitar in her trunk and drove off. Brooke watched Natalie walk away. She watched as Natalie drove away and headed back to her own car.

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Nathan locked up the club and decided to go for a drive. _She didn't do what I thought she did. _He thanked God for that, that night had a hidden plot. He was going to get to the bottom of it. He was driving around and he gazed at his wedding ring. He was reminded of their wedding vows. They still rang in his ears. _**Nathan, it's been said that there's one word that will free us from the weight and the pain of life and that word is love. And I believe that. That doesn't mean that it hasn't been hard or that it won't be. It just means that I found a stillness and a bravery in myself with you. You make me brave. And I will love you until the end of time. This I vow today.**_She had meant it. He smiled, a true smile at the memory. Then his words rang in his ears_**Last year, we stood on a beach and I told you how much I loved you. And I would always, always protect you. On that day, nobody believed that this would work, but I don't think anybody understood the love that I had for you because if they did, they would have never doubted us. So I wanted to marry you all over again in front of most of our world because today when I look into your eyes, my love for you only grows. It's even stronger now and that love will never waiver and this I vow to you today, and always and forever.**_Always and forever; he had vowed always and forever. She had promised him always and forever, and he wasn't about to let her or him take that away from them. He wanted forever then and now, driving in his car, he still wanted it. He came to a stop and looked at a familiar building. He hadn't known where he was going. He let the physical part of him make his decisions instead of his mind. He looked up at the familiar place and scrunched his face in confusion. What the hell was her doing here? He looked up at the window of his old apartment from high school and saw a familiar face closing the blinds. He looked at the clock in his car, 1:23. He turned off his car and took the key out of the ignition. He opened the door and walked up to apartment 11. He took a deep breath and knocked. He heard someone to come open the door. The locks were being unlocked and the most beautiful thing he ever laid his eyes on greeted him. She looked at him in surprise and she appeared in the doorway still in the clothes from the last time he saw her. She stood in the doorway, leaving little for Nathan to see in the apartment.

"Nathan? What are you doing here? How did you find me?"

"I really don't know. I locked up Tric, and I was driving, completely not aware of where I was going and I ended up here. Then I looked at the apartment, and saw you. And I wanted to see you."

"Um, it's 1 in the morning."

"I know. Can I come in?"

Haley looked in the apartment. "I'd rather you didn't."

"Why?"

"Haley?"

Nathan heard the voice of another man coming from inside the apartment. Nathan ran his fingers through his hair to keep his jealousy and rage in control. The door opened further and the voice that had made itself heard possessed a body. He was tall and slightly built. He had messy blonde hair and reminded Nathan of a younger Matt Dillon.

"Hey, You must be Nathan. I'm Rob."

Rob held out his hand for Nathan to shake. Nathan only stared at Haley. He shook his head ever so slightly, barely moving it at all. He looked at Rob with fury, but he hid it from him, but Haley saw past it.

"Right."

Nathan turned away from Haley's door and began to walk down the stairs. He was headed to his car. Haley told Rob to wait a minute and hurried down the steps to catch up with Nathan. He was about to open his car door when she stopped him by placing her hand on his. He tore his hand away from her grasp.

"You know, I came here to tell that I know what you told Jamie about that night and wanted to know if we could maybe talk things out, but I see you already have your hands full."

"You don't know what you're talking about Nathan."

"Really? I don't? Then why wouldn't you let me in?"

"Because I knew you'd act like this."

"Whatever, I'm going." He went to open the car door again, but Haley stopped him again.

"Will you just listen to me?"

"Why? Go back to him." He lifted his left hand. "Maybe we weren't meant to be **always and forever.**"

Haley began to cry.

"YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT NATHAN!"

"REALLY? CUZ IT LOOKS LIKE I MEAN CRAP ALL TO YOU!"

"YOU'RE AN IDIOT IF YOU BELIEVE THAT."

"YEAH, YOU'RE RIGHT I'M AN IDIOT, FOR THINKING THIS COULD BE FIXED! THERE'S NO HOPE AFTER THIS."

"NATHAN, I LOVE YOU!" She started to calm down. "Rob opened my shows when we were on tour. He just showed up at my door tonight to say goodbye because I just left." Her anger got to her again. "SO BEFORE YOU MAKE CONCLUSIONS YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT, GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT."

Haley began to walk away. Nathan ran after her and grabbed her wrist and turned her around to face him. He put his left hand around her neck and pulled her to him. He placed his lips firmly on hers and they began to explore the regions that they hadn't been to for three years. Nathan wrapped his right arms around Haley's waist while still keeping his left hand firmly on her neck, in case she tried to pull away from his grasp. His kiss became fierce. He needed her, he wanted her, he breathed her, he loved her and there was no denying it. He ended the kiss and looked at the ground and caught his breath. He shook his head. He looked at her as if to apologize and began to walk away. He had made it to his car before he heard footsteps running up to him. Haley turned Nathan around and kissed him a fiercely as he kissed her. She was in his arms. He picked her up and continued to kiss her. He missed this. She leaned against him, arms around his neck and his arms around her waist. He put her down and she pushed him against his car door. They were so lost in each other. Nathan kept kissing her, afraid to end it, afraid that it would only be a dream. His right hand made it's way to her cheek, cupping it. She grabbed onto his shirt for dear life. She didn't want it to end. She wouldn't let go of his lips, she refused to. She had forgotten about Rob, who was watching in anger and jealousy.

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**A/N: **Okay, so I know this chapter is shorter than the others, but oh well. I'll update again tomorrow, depending if I get a snow day (crosses fingers) or not. So, a kiss…two were in there and I know a lot of you wanted it to be Haley to catch Natalie at the beginning, but that is going to be saved for another time! Please review!


	7. Red Marks

**A/N: **Hey guys. Thanks for the reviews! They were awesome and for those of you who have decided to join the club, WELCOME…you're gonna have the time of your life! Okay, so this is the chapter when people may begin to hate me, starting here is where a bunch of drama begins, enjoy!

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He shook his head. He looked at her as if to apologize and began to walk away. He had made it to his car before he heard footsteps running up to him. Haley turned Nathan around and kissed him as fiercely as he kissed her. She was in his arms. He picked her up and continued to kiss her. He missed this. She leaned against him, arms around his neck and his arms around her waist. He put her down and she pushed him against his car door. They were so lost in each other. Nathan kept kissing her, afraid to end it, afraid that it would only be a dream. His right hand made it's way to her cheek, cupping it. She grabbed onto his shirt for dear life. She didn't want it to end. She wouldn't let go of his lips, she refused to. She had forgotten about Rob, who was watching in anger and jealousy. Much to her delight, water droplets had begun to fall on their heads. They both looked up as the thunder sounded and the lightning made itself visible. They smiled and Nathan continued to kiss Haley. He pulled her closer to him and continued to explore her mouth.

Rob continued to watch from the window. They had disappeared behind Nathan's car. He felt the knots forming in his stomach and when it started to rain, the rain clouded his view. He became frustrated and left the apartment. Without Haley knowing, he drove off in anger. Haley noticed the headlights as her eyes were shielded; the alarm that Rob was still there was going off. Reluctantly, she ended the kiss.

"Hey, hold on."

"What?"

Haley looked around the parking lot. His car was gone. Nathan looked at her in confusion, then he realized she was looking for. She was looking for Rob's car. He felt jealous once again, but then an alarm of his own went of in his head. _She was kissing you right now, not Rob. Don't get jealous, remember Chris Keller?_ He calmed down instantly and saw Haley coming back to him.

"I guess he left."

They still stood on the rain, cold instantly overtook Haley's body. Nathan saw this and grabbed her hand pulling her towards the apartment. They ran up the steps and saw the door open.

"Yup. He definitely left."

"Sorry Hales."

"Why?"

"If I hadn't come, he would have gotten a proper goodbye."

"I'm glad you came Nathan. I missed you so much. And I want you to know that I'm gonna find out who sent you guys away that night."

Haley touched his face softly. She caressed his cheek with her right hand and he grabbed her hand. She left him standing there as she walked towards the room at the end of the hall. He stood there and his heart was racing. He breathed deeply and kept his eyes on the bedroom. He stood in the hallway drenched in water from the raindrops that were coming down outside even harder. He felt his phone go off in his pocket.

"Hello?"

"Dad?"

"Nat? Hey."

"Are you okay? You're not home yet and it's almost 2, not to mention it's a pool outside."

"Yeah kid, I'm fine and safe okay? Go to sleep, don't you gotta work in the morning?"

"Yeah."

"Then go to sleep. I promise you I'm safe."

"Okay dad. Stay put until it stops, got it?"

Haley had come out of the bedroom with towels for herself and Nathan.

"Okay, I love you kiddo." Nathan hung up his cell phone. He smiled back at Haley.

"She worries about you?"

"Oh yeah. We look out for each other 24/7. We're all we have these days."

Haley looked hurt. She walked over to Nathan handing him the towel. She remained silent. Nathan had suddenly realized what he had just said.

"I mean…up til now, right?"

Nathan looked at Haley hopefully. He wanted her to stay. If she left again, he wouldn't be able to make it out alive. He'd go back into depression and have Natalie hate him, like she did after they came home that dreadful weekend. He remembered a month after they got back from that weekend. He began to drink again. Natalie had come into the house with a rank scent on her jacket.

"_Where the hell have you been?"_

_Natalie stopped and looked at her father. A bottle of vodka hung loosely from his left hand. His goatee had become a lot more visible. There were dark circles under his eyelids. She ignored him and moved up the stairs. She yelled back to him._

"_Nowhere."_

_Nathan took another swig from his bottle, slammed it on the table in front of him and followed Natalie. He made his way up the stairs, almost falling. He swung left to right, right to left. His vision was blurry and distorted. He came to Natalie's room and pounded on her door._

"_LEAVE ME ALONE!"_

"_OPEN THE DOOR NAT."_

"_NO. SLEEP IT OFF DAD."_

_Nathan stopped pounding on the door. He then took a deep breath, only to exhale coughing his lungs out. __**What the hell is that smell?**__ Then it hit him. He followed it to Natalie's bedroom. He grew furious and scared. He knew that smell coming from her room. He recognized it and it sent him to hell and back. He continued to pound on her door._

"_OPEN UP NATALIE."_

"_GO AWAY."_

"_I'M NOT GOING AWAY. OPEN THE DAMN DOOR!"_

_There was no answer. Nathan decided to take matters into his own hands. If Natalie wasn't going to open the door, he would make himself get in there, somehow. He stood a few feet away from her door and rammed his body into it, causing it to open. There he saw Natalie, his daughter, the smart one, at an open window. She whipped her head around to look at him and put what was in her hand in the ashtray by her windowsill. Her eyes were red, from tears and from the pot she was smoking. Nathan looked from Natalie to the ashtray. In his anger, he threw the ashtray out he window. It landed in the backyard._

"_WHAT THE HELL NAT?"_

_Nathan brought his hands to his face and let the tears fall. He sat on her bed and she looked at him with anger and guilt. She sat beside him._

"_I'm alone in the world." Natalie's tears began to fall as well._

"_You were always the good one. The smart one."_

_Natalie looked at Nathan and saw the disappointment and sorrow in his eyes._

"_Things change dad. Within 20 minutes, I had no mom. Within a month, I lost my father. Within a year, I lost my brother. And within a week, I lost myself. I'm just trying to cope."_

_Nathan ran his fingers through his hair and wrapped Natalie in a hug._

"_I'm sorry kiddo. For everything. Things are gonna change."_

"_I dunno dad, if they can change overnight."_

"_They probably won't, but I'll help you if you help me."_

_Natalie cried in her father's chest and nodded her head. "Okay."_

"Nathan?"

Nathan was brought out of his memory.

"Oh, sorry." He took the towel that Haley offered to him. She ran the towel through her hair and wiped all the water that was rolling off of her skin. Nathan discarded his jacket, which was drenched with water and placed it on the small coat-rack that was at the entrance of the apartment. He turned around to see Haley at the stove. He wiped the water off of his face and any dried any dampness from his jacket that penetrated through the material onto his skin. He put the towel on the counter and sat on the barstool that stood in front of the island. He watched Haley and she turned around to face him. He instantly became warm and she gave him a smirk.

"You trying to imitate me?"

"Haha…little high on yourself aren't you?"

Nathan smiled. "Whatcha making?"

"Hot chocolate."

"Hmm. Sounds good. You making me one too?"

"Yes."

"Good."

Haley smirked again and sat on the other barstool that was beside Nathan. She put her hands in her lap and they sat in comfortable silence. Hesitantly, Nathan grabbed her hand in his and intertwined them.

"Hey, I wanna ask you something."

"Okay."

"Do you plan on staying?"

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Natalie lay in her bed staring at the ceiling. She looked at the clock to her left, 2:34. She had to get up at 6 and she couldn't get to sleep. She kept tossing and turning. She got out of her bed and snuck down the hallway to her brother's room. She quietly opened the door and peeked inside. It was empty. She closed the door and headed back towards her room. She closed the door and turned on the light. She kneeled and pulled out her guitar from under her bed. She took it out of the case and grabbed her black sweater and wrapped herself from the cold that she felt. As she grabbed it, papers fell from her pocket. She froze and recognized them. She picked them up and opened her own lyrics.

_Saw you last night  
You didn't know it was me  
Pain re-surfaced at the sight  
Of you standing ardently_

_You wouldn't see me  
You walked away  
From everything you've known to be_

_Now I feel out of place  
Feel like I'm running a race  
When I know I can't win  
Seeing you again  
Makes me lose my place within_

Natalie looked at the lyrics. She grabbed a pen from her desk and sat with the paper and her guitar in front of her. She added a few lines to her lyrics, another verse and she strummed her guitar to fit her lyrics.

_You stayed silent for so long  
Maybe it's just all in my mind  
But, I wonder where we went wrong  
Maybe you're just wasting my time_

Natalie sat there looking at her words. They had come from the heart, she wouldn't ignore her pain that she held. Sure, she helped her out, but she would have done the same thing for anyone else. That's who she was, a helpful person. She looked at her clock 3:17. She felt her eyes instantly droop. She folded her lyrics and shoved them back into her pocket. She put the guitar back where it belonged and shoved it under her bed. She closed the light in her room and snuggled under the covers. She went to sleep and she dreamed of a night she wanted to forget.

_The lights came back up. There was a ringing in Natalie's ears. She didn't care, her mother was a rock star and a damn good one at that. She felt a sense of pride and joy within her, She felt her father's hand on her shoulder and he smiled at her. They waited for the people to exit the stadium. The Staples Center had been packed that night. Natalie looked around prior to the show beginning, there was not a single seat empty, except the select few behind the camera crew, but those didn't count. The stadium emptied and Nathan took Jamie and Natalie with him and they exited the place. He maneuvered his way through people to get backstage where a crowd of fans was waiting to be let in to meet his wife. He made his way to the front of the line with his kids behind him. He went to move past the security guard standing at the door._

"_WHOA fella. Where do you think you're going?"_

"_To see my wife."_

"_Who's your wife?"_

"_Haley James-Scott."_

"_HA! Right."_

"_You don't believe me?"_

"_No. I've heard it all before."_

"_Fine. Don't believe me. Just tell her that Nathan, Jamie and Natalie Scott are here to see her."_

_The security guard looked behind him. He could sense the desperation in Nathan's voice. He searched for someone._

"_MIKE!"_

_Another security guard came and spoke in confidential to one another. Mike stood guard for the other guard and only let people in as they flashed their backstage passes as they were the crew. Nathan stood there in excitement. He was nervous and was becoming impatient. He shoved his sweaty hands in his pockets and waited for the security guard to come back. About 15 minutes later, the security guard returned. _

"_She said she has no time."_

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"Hey, I wanna ask you something."

"Okay."

"Do you plan on staying?"

Haley looked at Nathan. She closed her eyes and hung her head, looking down. She sighed.

"I'm going to tell you the same thing I told Jamie. I'm staying. I'm not going anywhere."

"Good." Nathan sipped his hot chocolate and put his mug back down on the counter. He just sat there and watched Haley.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"No c'mon tell me."

Nathan got up from the barstool and put his mug in the sink. He knew something that she wanted to know. He smirked at the thought and turned to face her. He stood a few feet away from where she sat.

"It's nothing."

"Nathan, c'mon tell me."

"There's nothing to tell."

"Yes there is, now tell me."

She got up from her spot and walked towards him. He blocked the sink and so, she had to move him out of the way to put her empty mug into the sink. Her right hand still rested on his right hip from when she pushed him out of her way. He felt the electricity flow from her touch. He got caught looking at her, no, **staring** at her. He grabbed her hand, keeping it where it was. He knew that if she lifted her hand away, he wouldn't be able to live. She was his life, one of the reasons he woke up every morning. She was his life support. He loved when she touched him, it let him know so many things. He grabbed her hand and led her away from the sink to the couch. The clock read 3:43. She yawned.

"You tired?"

"A little." She laughed and he laughed with her. The rain still hadn't stopped. They sat on the couch and she let her head lie on his chest. He caressed her hair and she wrapped her arms around his waist. She closed her eyes and fell asleep easily. It was the easiest she'd fallen asleep for the longest time. There were too many cold nights without him by her side. Nathan noticed Haley had fallen asleep on his chest. He laughed a little and looked at the clock, 4:12. He realized that he was sleepy as well. He picked her up and brought her to her bedroom. He undid the bed and slipped her inside the comfort of the sheets. He bent down to look at her sleeping face, which faced his. She looked so peaceful, there was a smile on her face as she slept. He kissed her forehead and he noticed her eyes open a little. He looked at her and smiled.

"You staying?"

He breathed deeply and nodded. "Sure."

He moved to the other side of the bed and crawled into it beside her. He threw the comforter over his body and as soon as his head hit the pillow, he felt Haley's body get closer to him. She draped an arm across his waist and he held her close to him. He fell asleep instantly and he hadn't had a good night's rest as well as that for 3 years.

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Natalie awoke to the sound of her alarm clock buzzing in her ears. She moved to the other side of the bed where it sat and turned it off. She was so tired. She rose and rubbed her eyes to wipe the sleep away from them. Of all the days to work, she worked on Saturday mornings, and all for her cousin. She got out of bed and washed up. She then threw on a pair of jeans and an old t-shirt. She swung her sweater over herself and headed out the door. She had time, so she decided to walk. She could still smell the residue from the rain from the previous night. She walked towards a small café, which her cousin, Lily, had opened when she graduated from college, with a degree in the culinary arts. She had asked Natalie to help her out on Saturdays for pay and sometimes during the week if she really needed help, which was often. Natalie walked up the stone steps to the café and opened the door. She removed her hoodie and saw Lily behind the counter wiping it down. Natalie made her way behind the counter.

"Hey lil cuz."

"Hey."

"You okay? You seem…"

"…dead?"

"Sure."

"Didn't fall asleep until around 3:30, this morning."

"Ouch. What the hell were you doing at 3 in the morning?"

"Let's see…no one was home, and the rain pounded on my window."

"Oh. Right. So talk to me Nibs, we haven't spoken in a while."

"A week is a while?"

"Yes. Heard your mom came back into town."

"Yup, and I'm trying to forget it."

"Why?"

"Seriously?"

"Okay so she did something to you. Big whoop. That was 3 years ago, get over it."

"It was 2 years ago, and no I won't get over it. And even if it was a long time ago, I recall you still having a grudge against Anthony."

"That's different."

"How?"

Lily remained silent.

"Exactly."

"She's your mom."

"No. A mom is someone who takes care of you when you're sick, or tucks you in at night before you go to sleep or…"

"…or defends you when you get into a barfight? Nat, she's been there for all of the above."

"Not in the last 3 years, except the barfight."

"Take my advice dude, live life with no regrets and hold no grudges, because you never know when something will come along to screw you over."

Natalie continued to fill the sugar shakers. She knew her cousin was right, but she couldn't forgive and forget so easily.

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Nathan woke up from his slumber and looked at his surroundings. _Where the hell am I?_ Then he heard a gentle, barely audible moan from his right side. She was still asleep and her arm still laid on his waist. He smiled and remembered his kiss with her **much** earlier that morning. And to think he wasn't going to find her. He was thankful that someone had come to see him the night before as he closed Tric.

_He looked around and saw that everyone was now gone, including the employees._

"_Well, well Nathan Scott." Nathan turned his attention to the one standing to his right. He scrunched his face trying to make out the figure looking at him. It started walking towards him and soon came into the light that was being emitted from the small lights behind the bar. A guy with dirty blonde hair made himself known._

"_Mouth?"_

"_Hey Nathan."_

"_What's up man?"_

_Nathan was happy to see Mouth. He hadn't seen him in a while. Mouth had gotten a job as a Sports News Anchor a few years back and hadn't been in Tree Hill since. He was a successful person who was adored by everyone. He still had the same attitude and friendly characteristics that had made him so lovable in the first place. Mouth took a seat at the bar._

"_Nothing much, just decided to take a vacation and see everyone."_

"_Cool."_

"_How are you doing? I heard from Peyton that Haley came back."_

"_Yeah, It's been a hectic 24 hours."_

"_I can't imagine."_

"_Sorry, Mouth did you want a drink?"_

"_Uh, no I just came to say hi."_

_Mouth noticed Nathan's blank expression stating that he was in deep thought. Mouth looked at him and shook his head._

"_What?"_

"_Not sure what to do about it?"_

"_I dunno Mouth. I find out from my son that what I thought happened 2 years ago, didn't actually happen. Now I dunno what to do, my emotions are all over the place."_

"_Wow, never heard you sound so sincere."_

"_Usually, I'm only like this with Haley."_

"_Okay, so my question's been answered and it looks like yours has been too."_

"_What question?"_

"_Well, I was wondering if you still loved her. And you were wondering what you should do."_

"_And what did I answer?"_

"_You do still love her, otherwise you wouldn't be like this, wondering what to do. Your emotions wouldn't be all over the place."_

"_And what should I do?"_

"_You know the answer to that."_

_Mouth stood from his seat and nodded to Nathan. "Just follow your heart."_

_Nathan nodded. "Thanks Mouth."_

A stirring on his stomach shook him from his thoughts. He looked down and saw Haley, she was still asleep. He smiled at her sleeping form and kissed her forehead, his stomach grumbled. He cursed under his breath and noticed Haley waking up.

"Hey you."

"Was that your stomach?"

"Yeah. Guess I'm hungry."

"Yeah, so am I."

Haley began to get out of the bed and out of Nathan's grasp, but he only pulled her down to lay back down with him.

"I thought you were hungry."

"I am, but you come first."

He smiled and planted a kiss on her lips. She smiled against his mouth and soon it became heated. They both needed to breathe, but neither of them cared. They were with the other again, and in that moment, that was all that mattered. Nathan rolled them over so that he was only slightly on her. He was on his side, while she was on her back. He cupped her cheek with his hand and he continued to kiss her. He moved his mouth from her lips and moved down to her neck. She felt butterflies fluttering in her stomach. She grabbed onto his shirt, never wanting to let go of him, He found her weak spot, the spot that made her give into him. _What is he doing to me?_ She found his lips again and he was short on breath, but that didn't stop him from enjoying time with his wife. _My wife._ Nathan smiled against Haley's mouth at the thought. He broke from her and gave her a butterfly kiss on her mouth. He then laid his forehead against hers. They were both panting, trying to catch their breaths.

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Natalie had been flipping pancakes for the past 2 hours and had almost fallen asleep twice, before she felt the stinging from her burn that she had come to own at around 8:00. She heard the bell from the door ring and she now knew she would have to prepare another breakfast or 2. She groaned at the thought and looked at the clock. 9:37. _Great. Only another 6 hours until I can go home and sleep before Jamie performs again. _Lily popped her head into the kitchen where Natalie stood at the grill.

"You have visitors."

"What?"

Natalie handed Lily the spatula and exited the kitchen with her apron on. In front of her stood both of her parents.

"Hey kiddo."

"Hey dad." She looked at Haley. "Hi."

Nathan looked at Haley and she looked hurt.

"What can I get you guys?"

"What's the special this morning Nibs? I'm starving."

"Uh, 2 eggs, bacon, toast and home fries."

"Great. Hales what are you having?"

Haley looked at Natalie and shrugged her shoulders. "What do you recommend?"

"Uh…anything. It's all good."

Haley nodded and smirked.

"Um…I'll have the same as your father."

"You got it. Oh, uh…sorry white or brown toast? And how would you like your eggs?"

Nathan smirked. "Scrambled and white kid." Natalie turned her attention to Haley.

"Brown and over-easy."

Natalie walked back into the kitchen and started to cook her parents' breakfasts. _This morning is gonna be longer than I thought it would be._

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That night, Jamie sat in his changing room with Molly sitting beside him. He kept cracking his knuckles, which made Molly a little irritated and somewhat worried.

"Are you okay?"

"Why do you ask?"

"You just seem…I dunno, a little nervous or…"

"…I'm not nervous, I just have a bad feeling. Like something's gonna happen and I won't be able to do anything."

Molly walked over to Jamie and sat beside him. She put an arm around his shoulders. The two of them had become friends after the show from the previous night. Jamie felt comfortable with Molly, he felt that he could be himself around her. "It's gonna be okay."

"I dunno if it will be. I hardly ever get these feelings."

"And when you do?"

"I usually turn out to be right."

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Nathan stood behind the bar as music played throughout the club. Haley sat in front of him and he would catch her looking at him occasionally. He smiled back at her, letting her know that he had seen her staring at him. At one point he had told her to wipe the drool on the crack of her mouth. She turned red and wiped her mouth. A little while later she felt to hands wrap around her eyes, blinding her. She yanked the hands away from her eyes.

"Hey, Haley, relax. It's only me."

"Oh hey Rob. I'm so sorry about last night."

"Hey it's okay. You had your hands full."

"So when are you leaving?"

"Um, soon."

"You're gonna make it. I know it."

"Do you?"

"Yeah. You're good."

Rob smiled at Haley and she smiled back. Nathan saw the interaction and instantly became jealous. He took a deep breath and calmed himself down. _She wouldn't do that to you…__**Chris Keller**__. Shut up. That was a million years ago and she was much younger then, she's mature now. Don't ruin a good thing._ He shook himself out of his thoughts.

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"I'm usually right."

"Maybe this time you're wrong."

"I hope so. Look Molly, I…"

The door opened to reveal Peyton. "You're on bud."

"Thanks Peyt."

Peyton closed the door and Jamie got up.

"I'll see you after the show?"

"Yeah. Good luck Jamie."

"Thanks."

Jamie kissed her cheek and winked at her. She exited the room and headed out from backstage to find Natalie.

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The lights dimmed and the crowd began to cheer. Jamie walked onto the stage and saw Molly with his sister and some random guy talking to his mother. The knot in his stomach tightened and he swallowed the lump in his throat. He placed his fingers on the keys of his keyboard and began to play.

_I have    
I have you breathing down my neck    
Breathing down my neck  
I don't, don't know    
What you could possibly expect    
Under this condition-so    
I'll wait, I'll wait    
For the ambulance to come    
Ambulance to come    
Pick us up off the floor    
What did you possibly expect    
Under this condition, so  
 Slow down    
This night's a perfect shade of_

Rob looked at Haley staring intently at the kid on stage. He leaned down and spoke into her ear.

"He's good."

"Damn straight he's good. He's my son."

Rob tensed at Haley's words and glared at Jamie. Jamie saw Rob glare at him only sang and played harder.

_Dark blue, dark blue    
Have you ever been alone in a crowded room?    
When I'm here with you    
I said the world could be burning, burning down    
Dark blue, dark blue    
Have you ever been alone in a crowded room?    
Well I'm here with you  
I said the world could be burning    
'Til there's nothing but    
Dark blue, dark blue_

Jamie could still feel Rob's gaze on him and he looked from his keyboard and saw him arguing with his mother.

"So are you coming back to the tour?"

"I told you I'm done Rob."

"C'mon Haley. We were awesome, all the shows sold out."

"I said no Rob."

"Fine."

_This flood    
This flood is slowly rising up    
Swallowing the ground    
Beneath my feet    
Tell me how anybody thinks    
Under this condition    
So I'll swim I'll swim    
As the water rises up    
Sun is sinking down    
And now all I can see    
Are the planets in a row    
Suggesting it's best that I    
Slow down    
This night's a perfect shade of_

_Dark blue, dark blue    
Have you ever been alone in a crowded room?    
When I'm here with you    
I said the world could be burning, burning down    
Dark blue, dark blue    
Have you ever been alone in a crowded room?    
Well I'm here with you    
I said the world could be burning    
Dark blue   _

_We were boxing    
We were boxing the stars    
We were boxing    
You were swinging for mars    
And then the water reached the west coast    
And took the power lines, the power lines    
And it was me and you    
And the whole town under water    
There was nothing we could do     
It was dark blue_

Rob stared Jamie down. A smirk creeped on his face, which went unnoticed by Haley, but there was one person who did notice.

_Dark blue, dark blue    
Have you ever been alone in a crowded room?    
When I'm here with you    
I said the world could be burning, burning down    
Dark blue  
Have you ever been alone in a crowded room?    
Well I'm here with you    
I said the world could be burning    
Now there's nothing but  _

_Dark blue     
If you've ever been alone    
You'll know    
Dark Blue    
If you've ever been alone    
You'll know    
You'll know_

Jamie bowed and left the stage area. He went to his dressing room and closed the door. He went into the washroom to splash his face with water. He exited the bathroom and before he knew it, a hand grabbed him by the throat, sending him into the wall opposite of him. It was the one he saw arguing with his mother. The guy's other hand held onto Jamie's right arm.

"You."

The guy's grip around Jamie's neck tightened.

"Listen to me you little punk. Haley? She's supposed to live out her dream, you know I and I know and here's what you're going to do. You're going to convince her to go on tour again got it?"

Jamie spat at Rob. "You're despicable." Rob tightened his grip.

"You're going to do it."

"No I'm not."

"Oh I think you are. Because if you don't, that little girl you're talking to and your sister will no longer be innocent and I might even put your sister out of her misery. You know what to do."

Rob let go of Jamie. Jamie went into a coughing fit. Rob moved towards the door. He stopped and turned to face Jamie.

"Oh yeah, and rock star?" Jamie still didn't look at him. "No one finds out about our meeting or arrangement. I will be watching you and I'll know if you tell anyone."

Rob left the room, completely unaware that someone had overheard the entire conversation. Jamie moved his hand to his throat and saw the hand marks on his neck. They were red and clearly visible.

"Jamie?"

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**A/N: ** Okay, so the drama begins. Please review and let me know what you think. I know, we all hate Rob at this point!


	8. A Month Ago

**A/N:** Hey guys. Thanks for the awesome reviews. Uh, the song that Jamie sang in the last chapter was _**Dark Blue**_** by Jack's Mannequin, **just in case anyone has been living under a rock or in case anyone wanted to know and for disclaimer purposes. Anyone who joined the "Get Carrie" Club, or as I like to call it, "Chix with Stix", WELCOME. And on with the story.

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Jamie bowed and left the stage area. He went to his dressing room and closed the door. He went into the washroom to splash his face with water. He exited the bathroom and before he knew it, a hand grabbed him by the throat, sending him into the wall opposite of him. It was the one he saw arguing with his mother. The guy's other hand held onto Jamie's right arm.

"You."

The guy's grip around Jamie's neck tightened.

"Listen to me you little punk. Haley? She's supposed to live out her dream, you know it and I know it and here's what you're going to do. You're going to convince her to go on tour again got it?"

Jamie spat at Rob. "You're despicable." Rob only tightened his grip.

"You're going to do it."

"No I'm not."

"Oh I think you are. Because if you don't, that little girl you're talking to and your sister will no longer be innocent and I might even put your sister out of her misery. You know what to do."

Rob let go of Jamie. Jamie went into a coughing fit. Rob moved towards the door. He stopped and turned to face Jamie.

"Oh yeah, and rock star?" Jamie still didn't look at him. "No one finds out about our meeting or arrangement. I will be watching you and I'll know if you tell anyone."

Rob left the room, completely unaware that someone had overheard the entire conversation. Jamie moved his hand to his throat and saw the hand marks on his neck. They were red and clearly visible.

"Jamie?"

Jamie turned around to find a familiar pair of eyes looking at him. He did his best to cover his neck so that they wouldn't notice…too late.

"What the hell happened to your neck?"

"Nothing."

"Jamie…I heard everything and what's more I followed him here. I thought something was weird about him."

"What do you mean?"

"While you were playing, I was sitting with Natalie and he just had this dishonest look on his face."

"You shouldn't be here. He said…"

"…I know what he said Jamie. I can take care of myself."

"No. I don't want you to get involved."

"Too bad. I already am."

"Molly, this is my battle."

"Not if I know what's going on. Jamie you have to let me help you. Natalie's just as much my sister as she is yours. She's my best friend and she's pretty much my sister, even though we only met 2 years ago."

"And what about you?"

"Don't worry about me. I'm tough. I'm like…WonderWoman, without the bodysuit."

"And the whip?"

"Who needs the whip? I have a mean right hook."

"Thanks. You made my night a little better."

"You're welcome."

Jamie hugged Molly and tried to erase what Rob had just done to traumatically scar him for life. He felt sick to his stomach and his neck still stung from being in Rob's grasp. He let go of Molly.

"Let me see your neck."

Jamie lifted his head to give Molly a better view to his neck. The hand marks were still visible. She winced at the sight of Jamie's neck.

"That bad?"

"It looks like someone slit your throat."

"He may as well have. I can't go out there like this."

"It's dark. Maybe they won't notice."

"Yeah. If anyone asks about it what do I say?"

"I dunno Jamie."

"I can't go out there. Think you can sneak me out the back?"

"Sure. C'mon."

Molly helped Jamie up. He had his left hand on the back of his neck. Molly put her hand in his and they made their way to the door. She looked outside the door for anyone who may be there. Everything was clear. She dragged him out of the dressing room and towards the door to their left. She pushed the door open and let him out. His hand still rested on the back of his neck. The cold air attacked her skin and she instantly felt goose bumps form on her skin. Jamie exited Tric and turned to face Molly. He put his hands into his pockets and stood in front of her. He kissed her cheek.

"Thanks Wonderwoman."

He smirked and she giggled and shook her head. He walked across the parking lot and she watched him, just so she could make sure that he made it out alive. Once he was out of the parking lot, she went back inside and found Natalie at the bar talking to Brooke. She walked over to them and sat on Natalie's other side.

"Hey Molly, where've you been? Jamie gets off stage and then, whoosh, you're gone."

"Yeah. I had to go to the bathroom."

"Okay. You know my aunt Brooke right?"

"Yeah hi. I love your clothing line."

"Thank you."

"I'm wearing you right now actually."

"Yeah. I noticed." Brooke smiled and winked. Molly sighed and looked around. _I can't be here._ Molly got up from her seat.

"Hey. I'm gonna go."

"It's only 10:00. Molly are you okay?"

"Yeah. I'm not feeling too well." _Not a complete lie._

"You want me to come with you?"

"No. I'm just gonna go home. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Okay. Be safe."

"Always." Molly hugged Natalie and left Tric. Natalie watched Molly exit the club and couldn't shake the feeling that she was hiding something from her. She looked puzzled and this didn't go unnoticed by Brooke.

"Are you okay baby girl?"

Natalie smirked at her aunt's nickname for her. _At least it's better than Nibs._ "Yeah. Just thinking."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. Molly just acted weird. I have a feeling she's not telling me something."

"I'm sure she's fine."

"Yeah." Natalie shook off her feeling.

"So what's up?" Natalie looked at her aunt and then looked up. She pointed upwards and smirked.

"The roof?" Brooke smirked, which turned into a wide grin.

"Very funny."

Brooke and Natalie were in conversation about random things. Neither of them noticed a familiar face walking into the place. He strutted over to them, both of them completely oblivious to him. His dirty blonde hair framed his face perfectly. His waves fell from his head and on is right was his daughter. She left his side to find someone she knew and wanted to surprise. Brooke noticed him and went wide-eyed. He bent down and whispered into Natalie's ear.

"Can you sing for me?"

Natalie froze. She knew that voice from somewhere. She went wide-eyed. She turned around to face the voice.

"JAKE!"

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Haley stood by the washrooms, just standing there like a mindless idiot. She was reminiscing about that morning and how she spent it with Nathan. She remembered the feeling of his lips on hers. Just the thought of it made her smile like a girl in high school, thinking about her crush. She giggled to herself. She looked at the floor and smiled and shook her head. _Get a grip._ She leaned on the wall behind her and was yanked behind a curtain. She looked at the one who held her wrist and smiled when she saw who it was. He placed her against the wall and put his right hand just beside the wall, caging her. He smiled and placed his lips on hers to shut her up from saying anything.

"Missed you all night."

Haley giggled. He placed another kiss on her lips and spoke to her again.

"Where've you been?"

"I was watching Jamie."

"And speaking to Rob?"

"Yeah. He's leaving."

"He better. I don't want to have another Keller on our hands."

"Nathan, that was a long time ago."

"Yeah I know. I almost lost you then and then again 3 years ago. Thank God you came home."

Haley smiled and sunk them into a kiss. She threw her arms around his neck and he grabbed onto her waist, pulling her closer to him. She smiled against his mouth. _Yay, he's kissing me again. Wow, I still can't believe he still makes me feel this way. I'm never leaving. Why the hell did I leave in the first place? Home is here, with Nathan and Jamie…and Natalie._ Someone interrupting them brought them out of their kiss.

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"JAKE!" Natalie hugged Jake and wore a smile.

"Wow. A smile. That's a first Nat."

"Funny aunt Brooke."

"Jakey. How are you?"

"Oh, c'mon I haven't even said hi to you yet and you're already starting with the pet names."

Brooke hugged Jake and gave him a smile. "Peyton should be around here somewhere."

"Oh. Yeah, uh…thanks."

Brooke looked around and noticed that Jake wanted to speak with Natalie.

"Okay. I'm going to go find Lucas. You two catch up." Brooke left the two of them and walked away with her drink in her hand. She found Lucas and the two of them took a spot on the dance floor. Natalie shook her head and turned her attention to Jake.

"So how've you been kid?"

"Okay…restless."

"I figured. I saw Haley."

"Yeah. You know you almost gave me a heart attack?"

"Haha…why?"

"Only you knew about me singing."

"You _still_ haven't told anyone?"

"No…Peyton and Brooke kinda caught me."

"When?"

"Peyton on Thursday, and Brooke lat night."

"You can't keep this to yourself."

"Haha…you're not the first to tell me." Natalie looked at Jake and she smiled. Jake had given her private lessons when she first started out. He agreed to do so after he walked in on her trying to play and trying to teach herself. She had only been playing a week when he found out. That day he had instantly become close to Natalie. Being her Godfather, he felt he had an obligation to help her out and guide her as often and as much as he could, even though he was hardly ever around.

"So. Where's Jenny?"

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"Uh, sorry." Rob looked at the position that Haley and Nathan were in. The two of them had their arms around each other's bodies and it made Rob sick just looking at them. His frustration and jealousy surfaced, but he knew he couldn't show it. Haley looked embarrassed and Nathan looked as if he couldn't get enough alone time with Haley. He wanted to be alone with her for more than 5 minutes. Last night was one of the greatest nights of his life and all he anted to do was to relive it again, post Rob introduction. Nathan had a funny feeling about this guy, but then again, he always had a funny feeling of dislike, or hate towards anyone who tried to get near Haley as anything other than a friend. But this guy, in particular, there was something that just didn't settle with Nathan. He held Haley close to him, wanting to protect her from anything this guy would do or say. One arm was wrapped around Haley; covering the center of her back while his other was draped protectively across her front just below her shoulders. Rob looked at their position and tried to calm down. He did his best to cover the fact that seeing the two of them together bothered him.

"Sorry to interrupt, uh…Haley? Peyton was looking for you."

Haley was released from Nathan's grasp. She began to walk away, nut Nathan pulled her back to him a placed a gentle peck on her lips before smirking at her and letting her go until the next time they met. Nathan watched Haley walk away from him and Rob turned his attention to Nathan.

"She's something huh?"

"Yeah. The love of my life." Nathan studied Rob for his reaction. Rob was wincing at hearing Nathan's words, but kept it covert. Nathan just wanted to see if his instincts about Rob were correct and if, in fact he should be worried. As of this point, Nathan hadn't seen anything in Rob to support his feeling. All he knew was that he didn't like the guy and it was probably because of the events that had occurred the previous night. Rob looked at Nathan with a grin and walked away.

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"Peyton? You were looking for me?"

"Yeah. Haley, you remember Jenny right?"

A girl, about age 23 with dirty blonde hair and green eyes looked at Haley. She was thin and tall and gave a sincere smile. She looked at Haley and waved.

"Wow. Hey Jenny."

"Haley." Jenny nodded and looked between the two women. "Okay, you two obviously have something to talk about, I'm gonna go and find Natalie. Nice to see you again, Haley. Peyton? We should do something, sometime. Catch up."

"Definitely." At that, Jenny was gone. Peyton turned her attention to Haley.

"So…new album comes out soon. Psyched or scared?"

"Both."

"Figured out what you're gonna call it?"

"Nope. As of now it's untitled." Peyton nodded.

"Were you thinking of anything that you might wanna call it?"

Haley sighed. Truth be told, she had a few thoughts about what to call it. Nothing original, but she knew that she wanted to dedicate the album to her family, that way she could at least let them know that they were always number one and, despite popular belief, she did not know they were there that night. Sure, Jamie and Nathan knew that she didn't say what they thought she said but, Natalie didn't know, and that may have been the thing that kept her from being able to reconcile with her daughter. In the past 3 years she felt a lot of emotions and she couldn't pick just one to describe how she felt. When she was recording the album, Nathan, Jamie and Natalie were the only ones on her mind. She remembered always wanting to be with them, or near them in the very least. The past few days that she had been home again, were sometimes happy and sometimes full of guilt and grief. She had been frowned upon and was lost.

"I had a few ideas, but they don't fit."

Peyton nodded again. "Well, lemme know when you come up with something…and hopefully it'll be within this century."

Haley grinned and left Peyton's office.

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The house was quiet, almost too quiet. He sat at the end of his bed, on the floor with a tear-stained face. _How the hell am I supposed to get myself out of this mess? I don't want to convince my mom to leave. I just got her back. Why the hell does life have to be so damn unfair? It has to be either/or. That bastard who had his hand around my neck has me sitting on the floor of my bedroom contemplating the futures of 3 people; my mom, Molly and my sister. Either I lose my mom and tell her to go back or I let Molly and Nats get hurt, possibly killed. It's not like I can tell anyone, even though Molly knows, by fluke. When did life become so messed up? All I thought about when I was coming home was __**great a relaxing spring break with my sister and father. **__Oh yeah, good job thinking that, dumb ass. Nothing in life is ever fair. If it were, we'd all be one big happy family. I can't be here anymore._ Jamie got up off the floor. He walked out of his bedroom, wiping the water falling from his eyes with his fingers. He walked down the stairs and went towards the door, as he opened it, he saw the one with those hands that had been around his neck.

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"So, how's Jenny?"

"Why don't you ask her?"

Natalie turned around to see Jenny standing behind her smiling down at her.

"HEY!" Natalie hugged Jenny like it had been a lifetime since they had last seen each other.

"It's been a while. Look at you Nibs, no longer tiny. Bet you could take your brother down."

"Hell yeah." Natalie laughed. Jake left the two of them to talk and catch up. He saw a head of blonde curls and he would have recognized them within seconds if he hadn't been distracted by the laughter and words of two girls. Her back was turned to him and she was speaking to someone he had never seen before. They were enjoying a laugh and he stood behind her. He now recognized the one she was laughing with as "Mouth." Her giggles infiltrated his ears. He smiled at just hearing her laugh. He brought his right index finger to his lips to let Mouth know not to let Peyton know that it was him; Jake. He brought his hands from his sides and wrapped them around her eyes. Peyton brought her hands to his fingers as they rested on her eyes. She tried to pry them from her eyes, but was unsuccessful. He laughed and she could hear it. She made another attempt to pry the hands from her eyes. This time, she did it and she turned to face him.

"JAKE!?!"

He smiled and she jumped into his arms hugging him.

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Haley sat at the bar with her drink. Nathan was serving a few teenagers at the other end of the bar. She watched him do his job. He filled their glasses with cold drinks and she smiled as he shook off any proposals of dances and/or other proposals that may have gotten him arrested. She laughed and he walked away. She tore her gaze from him and he walked towards her.

"Refill?" He noticed her glass was empty.

"No. I'm good." Nathan nodded and turned his back to her as he grabbed a glass of water for himself. He watched her look at him. He winked and smiled. He brought the fresh liquid to his lips and chugged it down. He looked at his watch and saw that it was almost 11:00. _Only one more hour and you get to hold her._ He smiled at the thought and continued to watch his wife.

"Okay, so I have a question."

"Shoot."

"Your last album? Gets released in what? A month?"

"Yup."

"Okay. I was thinking, why don't you have a final show?"

"Nathan…"

"…here."

Haley looked at him with a questioning gaze.

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"What are you doing here?"

"Already told someone huh?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I told you to tell no one. Although, it's not like anyone will believe you."

"Why's that?"

"Because I haven't given them a reason not to trust me. Especially your mom."

"That's because no one sees you for the low-life scumbag that you are."

"(Laughs and shakes his head) You're right, especially your mom. And when she comes back to the tour, I'll be there and she still won't see it. She'll only need comforting from a friend because she thinks that her family, especially her first child, doesn't want her there."

"What makes you think that I'll go through with this?"

"I told you already. Mommy comes with me or sister and girlfriend get whatever I see fit. Also, to make sure things go as smoothly as possible…"

Rob punched Jamie in the face sending Jamie to the floor with a bleeding nose. Jamie caught himself before his head could hit the tiled hallway floor. He brought himself back up, wiping his bloody nose in the process. _Great, bloody nose and a stamped neck._

"…convince Haley to come back with me and the rest of you stay safe. Got it?"

Jamie stayed silent only glaring at Rob. He spat the blood from his nose that traveled to his mouth in Rob's face. It landed on his cheek.

"Get the hell outta here. I'm doing **nothing** for you."

"You'll do it."

"What makes you so sure?"

"I know who knows. And she's a beauty."

Jamie felt his blood boil. He spat at Rob again, his blood landing right in his eye. He wiped it away and laughed. Jamie only became more furious.

"Stay away from her."

"Or what? At this point, she's the only one who believes you and you won't be hearing from her because she's scared."

"You're insane."

"Maybe…you know what to do." Rob turned to walk out of the house. Jamie stood there with his neck still red with Rob's handprint and nose still bleeding. Rob closed the door, looking at Jamie with a victorious smirk. _He's a smart kid. He'll do the right thing if he knows what's good for him._ Jamie watched him walk out the door and as soon as he heard it slam, he ran to it and locked it. He grabbed a sweater from the closet to cover his neck. He then ran to the nearest washroom. He let himself bleed through the nose and occasionally spit out the chunks of blood that made their way to his mouth. The bleeding finally stopped after 15 minutes. He examined himself in the mirror in front of him. There was a small cut on his lower lip near the crack of his mouth. He licked it and could still taste his blood. He grabbed some toilet paper and dabbed the cut. _Must've happened when my lip collided with my teeth when he punched my face. Stupid moron._ Jamie cleaned himself up and washed all of the blood out of the sink and flushed all of the bloody toilet paper down the toilet. He heard the front door unlock and instantly tensed up. He exited the bathroom with his fists ready to fight Rob, if that were the case. He exited the bathroom, quietly and heard footsteps. The hall lights were on and he heard the footsteps get closer, but also heard laughter and moans. He raised his eyebrows. The owners of the footsteps came into vision and Jamie sighed with relief, but became disgusted. He saw his parents making out.

"That is disgusting. I don't wanna know how I was created."

Nathan and Haley jumped apart at hearing Jamie's voice. Both of them turned red in the face. Jamie grinned and shook his head. _Kids these days, well, my parents at least._ Jamie walked by them and headed for the stairs to get to his room. Haley noticed the cut on his lip and instantly became concerned.

"Hey Jamie? What happened to your lip?"

Jamie stopped at his mother's question. He touched the spot where the cut lay and it stung a little as the salt from his fingers penetrated the cut. He turned to face her.

"It's a cold soar."

"A cold soar? Jamie, cold soars are circular, not a gash on the lip."

"Just leave it!"

"I'm just trying to help."

"YOU WANNA HELP ME? GO BACK TO WHERE YOU WERE A MONTH AGO!"

Jamie ran up the stairs and Haley and Nathan looked after him and stood in shock. _Go back to where you were a month ago._

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**A/N:** Okay so…what do you think?? Crap? I know. PLEEEASE review!! I know A LOT of you didn't like the ending, but trust me in a few chaps, you're gonna wish that was it for the drama! Anyways I should have another chapter up sometime this week. Thanks for ALL of you who have been reviewing every chapter, it's your reviews that I look forward to the most and appreciate because they make me feel good! Thank you to you guys, you guys rock!


	9. Little Wonders

**A/N:** Okay so pretty good feedback, no one hates me yet, thankfully. Sorry it took longer than usual to update, but I had hockey tournament all week and I had to catch up in school. Uh, this chapter…not much I can say without giving it completely away, so it looks like you'll have to read!

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"Hey Jamie? What happened to your lip?"

Jamie stopped at his mother's question. He touched the spot where the cut lay and it stung a little as the salt from his fingers penetrated the cut. He turned to face her.

"It's a cold soar."

"A cold soar? Jamie, cold soars are circular, not a gash on the lip."

"Just leave it!"

"I'm just trying to help."

"YOU WANNA HELP ME? GO BACK TO WHERE YOU WERE A MONTH AGO!"

Jamie ran up the stairs and Haley and Nathan looked after him and stood in shock. _Go back to where you were a month ago. Did he just say that? The one who, last night, was ecstatic at the fact that she wasn't leaving? _Nathan looked after his son as he saw him stomp up the stairs. He tightened his grip around Haley's shoulder to reassure her that it was okay. She began tearing.

"Great. Now I'm on the "Screw-Off" list of two people who matter the most to me in this world."

"It's okay. He probably just had a rough night. He looked a little weary on the stage.

"I dunno Nathan, he seemed sincere."

"How do you know?"

"Cuz he had the same look in his eyes that you get when you're serious."

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Natalie entered her house. It was 1:30 in the morning and she could sense the odd atmosphere. Something was definitely different and no, she wasn't losing it even though she was half asleep. Then she heard a small sound, it was muffled and it was coming from a few feet in front of her. She saw the glow of a lamp at the end of the hall, dimly lighting up the living room. She hadn't made her presence known and she kept hidden in the darkness of the hallway. She looked in on the scene before her. The muffled sounds were that of Haley's tears being shed into Nathan's chest. He had his arms wrapped protectively around her and tried to calm her down and stop her tears. He whispered soothing 'it's okays' and gave her the occasional kiss on her forehead. Nathan looked at his watch and wondered where Natalie was. Natalie made her presence known.

"Hey."

Nathan and Haley quickly turned their heads to face Natalie who stood in the doorway to the living room. She looked tired and confused. She looked at Haley's face and noticed the depression, confusion and sadness in her eyes. She felt bad for Haley, and a tinge of guilt made itself present.

"Where've you been kid?"

"Uh, I went to see Molly. She was acting weird so I went to see if she was okay."

"Oh is she okay?"

"Yeah." She looked at Haley. "Everything okay here?"

Haley shot a surprised look at Natalie. _Is she serious? She hates me._

"Yeah. Rough night."

"You sure?"

"Yeah." Nathan looked from Haley to Natalie.

"Nibs, something's up with Jamie. He's acting strange. He just went off on Haley and she has no idea why."

_I can think of a few…or just one. _The anger was back and she was aware of the hateful night that occurred years prior.

"Want me to talk to him?"

"I was just about to ask…"

"…I got it dad."

Natalie looked at the two of them and nodded before she made her way up the staircase heading for Jamie's room. She could hear the buttons of his laptop being pushed furiously. _What is up with him?_ She knocked on his door gently. She got no response. She knocked on the door again, still no one responded. Natalie began to get frustrated and banged her fist on the door.

"WHAT?"

"Open the door James!"

She heard the screech of a chair scrape across the floor. Footsteps stomped over to the door and she heard the doorknob turning and came face-to-face with a distraught 21 year-old. His face was damp and his eyes red and tear-stained. The water was still building up. This was a side of Jamie that Natalie had never seen before. He usually put up a front whenever it came to his feelings. He never wore his heart on his sleeve; he never let anyone see how he felt.

"What Nat?"

"Are you okay?"

Jamie yanked his sister in his room and quickly closed the door. She gave him a look of confusion. He looked at her and sighed. He walked towards his chair and pulled it to sit in front of her where she took a seat on the comforter of his bed. He rested his elbows on his knees and sighed heavily. Natalie looked at him as if to tell him to let it all out.

"I told her to go away."

"What?"

"I told mom to leave, again. I told her to stay last night and I told her to leave tonight."

"Why?"

"I dunno." Natalie suddenly noticed his lip.

"Shit, Jamie what happened to your mouth?"

Jamie ran a finger over the cut. The blood had dried.

"Nothing."

"Jamie…"

"…I…Just leave it Nibs."

"Jamie…it's me. We tell each other everything remember?"

"I don't think I can this time Nats."

Natalie looked at her brother, she was tired and he could see that. Her tired expression turned into sarcasm. She scoffed and got up from her spot on the bed. She walked over to the door.

"Don't expect me to come to you anymore and don't expect me to tell you anything either."

Natalie exited Jamie's room and headed for her own. She shook her head in surprise as she heard footsteps ascend the stairs. She turned to see the pair of feet belonging to her father.

"Anything?"

Natalie simply shook her head. "He wouldn't tell me anything."

Nathan exhaled. _What could be so wrong with him? _Nathan stood there looking at his surroundings as if searching for a clue to explain his son's bizarre behaviour.

"Thanks for trying."

"No problem." Natalie began to walk towards her room, but Nathan stopped her.

"Nat?" She turned to face him. Sleep was obviously taking over her body and it was evident to Nathan.

"Can you do me a favour?" Natalie just continued to look at him. "Could you give your mother a break?"

"I can't dad."

"You don't understand kid. She didn't know we were there. She never said what we thought she did."

Natalie's expression didn't change; she looked to the floor and shook her head. _Of course something had to screw us over. What else don't I know?_ Natalie looked at her father.

"That doesn't make up for the silence." Natalie turned and walked to her room and closed the door behind her. She collapsed on her bed and let sleep take over as she entered Puck's world. A world of no truth and a world where you couldn't control much. _Kinda like my own world right here. _At her final thought, Natalie fell to sleep.

232323

Nathan stood there in the hall, Natalie's words echoed in his ears. _That doesn't make up for the silence. _Nathan had to hand it to his daughter, when she was angry, nothing could change it. He felt bad for Haley. First Natalie, now Jamie. He turned and walked down the stairs. He walked down the hallway back to the living room where he had last left Haley. He entered the living room. She was gone. He quickly panicked and sat on the couch. He placed his elbows on his knees and threw his head in his hands. A few tears threatened to fall as his eyes began to well up. He brought his head out of his hands and anyone who looked at him could see the redness in his eyes. He got up from his spot and decided to head to the backyard. He slid the door open and walked onto the deck. In the darkness, he could the figure of a woman to his left. His heart fluttered. She hadn't left. He walked towards her, her back facing him. She hugged herself to keep her safe from the cool night they were enduring. She could hear his footsteps coming for her. She shivered from the cold. He stopped a foot behind her. She heard his steps come to a halt. She turned a little to see him. His eyes were red.

"What's wrong?" He walked closer to her.

"I thought you were gone. I thought I lost you again. I thought you might have heard Natalie."

"I did…but I told you Nathan, I'm not going anywhere. I'm here for good."

He walked closer to her as she continued to gaze over the backyard. Her back faced him. He slid his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her tiny shoulder.

"Aren't you cold?"

"Not anymore."

He smirked at her response to his question. He kissed her right cheek and continued his trail of kisses down to her jaw line, making his way to her neck and finishing at her collarbone. She sighed as she could feel her heart beginning to race a lot quicker than usual. He still had an affect on her.

"You better not go anywhere."

"I won't."

"Good. Because if I have to endure what I had to go through these past few years, I wouldn't be able to do it."

A soft smile formed on Haley's lips. His arms were still wrapped around her waist. She moved her hands towards his hands, which were placed on her stomach, just covering her belly button. Her hands rested on him and she intertwined them. She squeezed his hands, not that he noticed. It was almost as if, if she were to let go, she would lose him. He tightened his own grip on Haley's hand, fearing the same thing that she did. He could feel her shiver under his grasp. He felt her hands turn cold. Without breaking their bond, he led her back inside the house. She closed the door and locked it. He waited for her, his hands still holding onto hers. He walked into the hallway, with her following behind him. He was about to ascend the stairs, but Haley stopped.

"Maybe I should go."

"Hales, It's 2:00 in the morning."

"My point exactly. And I don't want the kids waking up and finding me here when they already hate me."

"They don't hate you. Natalie's just…confused and hurt and upset. Jamie's being weird for a reason that I don't know about. Just stay the night. Please?"

"Nathan…" Nathan still held her hand in his. He walked closer to her. He knew what to do to make her stay. He grabbed her other hand and he brought his forehead to meet hers. He closed his eyes when he felt their heads come in contact. He still had a hold of her hands. He brought their hands to his chest. Haley could feel his heart beating faster and faster with every second. He dipped his head and convinced her in the only way he knew how. Slowly, he brought his head lower to become leveled with hers. He let go of her hands and snaked his arms around her tiny waist. He placed his lips gently on hers and kissed her slowly, at first. "Stay." He mumbled against her lips, his kiss had begun to become hungry. Haley moved her arms so they were around his neck and had a look of desperation on her face. Her eyebrows furrowed and she could feel the butterflies fluttering around in her stomach. "Stay." He mumbled that one word against her mouth and continued to kiss her. She gave a tiny, almost inaudible moan. Her knees instantly became weak as he said that one word a third time. "Stay." He broke the kiss, but his lips were still too close to hers. Nathan brushed his lips teasingly against Haley's. She couldn't take it, the teasing. It was killing her, she knew she couldn't give into him, but she did. "Okay." She pulled him towards her and continued to kiss him, both of them trying to dominate the other. Nathan felt like he was in high school again, he felt like the first time he kissed her, without the awkwardness. He smiled against her lips and she returned the smile, even though she didn't see him smile.

232323

Natalie awoke from her slumber and she realized that she was still in her clothes from the previous night. She glanced at her clock, 12:13. _Holy shit._ She rubbed her eyes. This was the latest she had slept in over 6 months. The latest she had woken up in the past 6 months was 8:30, and not by choice. She changed out of her clothes from the previous night into a more comfortable pair of Joe Boxer long-johns and a novelty **Jimmy Eat World **T. She exited her room and descended the stairs. She sniffed the air and smelled something familiar, but it was also something she hadn't smelt for a couple of years. She walked into the kitchen to hear…_laughter?_ She saw Haley sitting at the table sipping on a cup of coffee, while her father stood at the stove. She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. She looked between the two of them, waiting for some sort of explanation for the food and for Haley's presence.

"Morning sleepyhead." Natalie groaned a "Morning dad," to reply to Nathan's greeting. She walked over to where Nathan stood at the stove and looked at him in confusion.

"Hungry?"

"Yeah. What's all this?"

"I'm making your favourite, like your mom used to."

Natalie looked in the pan. The circular pancakes lay there, cooking and Natalie noticed an added bit, a personal favourite, chocolate-chips. She grinned and gave a slight laugh.

"Dad, you have to turn them now, or else, they'll burn."

Nathan did as he was told and Natalie was right. Any longer and the pancakes would have burnt. Natalie walked past him and grabbed herself a cup of coffee. She filled her mug with her addiction and added milk to dilute it a little bit. She moved from the counter to the table where Haley sat reading a section of the newspaper. Natalie sat in the chair to the right of Haley, beside her. Natalie sipped on her coffee and her hand wandered towards the newspaper on the table in front of her. She looked for the World section and the Sudoku puzzle located at the back of the paper. She grabbed a pen that lay lazily on the table and began attempting to figure out the Sudoku puzzle. Within the next 7 minutes, Natalie heard 3 "ouches," all from her father from burning his finger and the giggling of Haley coming from her left. She glanced between the two a few times and smirked in the process, thinking that no one had been watching her. Truth be told, Haley had seen the smirks, and it made her feel a little bit at ease. _Maybe, we're making progress._ Natalie was brought out of her concentration by a plate of a stack of pancakes in front of her. A plate, fork, knife and syrup also appeared in front of her. She grabbed a few pancakes, stacked them on her plate and drowned them in syrup. She ate her food and continued with the puzzle.

"DONE!"

Nathan looked at the clock.

"Wow, new record for Natalie Scott. 9 minutes, 43 seconds."

Haley looked at the two of them.

"Every morning, I try to break my record from the previous day. Kind of gets my brain to function properly."

"And today you broke a record?"

"Yup. I'm at my high."

"What was it before?"

"12 minutes, 23 seconds."

The conversation broke when Haley noticed Jamie enter the kitchen. His hair was placed of a disheveled manner. It was evident that he had just woken up from his slumber, or lack there of, as could be seen from the dark marks under his eyes. Natalie glared at Jamie and continued eating her pancakes. Jamie parked himself right beside Nathan. He just sat there, looking entirely zoned out. He kept silent. The atmosphere was awkward. No one spoke. The awkwardness was broken by a knock at the door and Nathan was clearing the table.

"Hales? Could you grab that?"

Haley hopped up from her spot and walked to the front door. She opened it and was greeted by a familiar face.

"Rob?"

"Haley?"

"What are you doing here?"

"Uh…(_was looking for your son) _I was looking for you. You weren't at your place, so I thought you might be here,"

Nathan walked towards the door where he heard a male voice speaking to Haley. As soon as he saw Rob standing in the doorway, a lump formed in his throat. Something didn't settle right with Nathan about Rob.

"Nathan, hey how are you?"

"What are you doing here?"

"I was looking for Haley."

Natalie and Jamie exited the kitchen where they were and headed into the hallway. Natalie stopped a few feet behind Nathan and Jamie wore a look of fear and hate. The cut on his lip glistened as the morning sun made an entry into their house. Rob caught a glimpse of his lip and immediately tensed up. Natalie noticed Jamie's look of hate on his face. If looks could kill, then Jamie's look would have made Rob fall straight to the floor. Rob's tension soon relaxed when he heard Haley's voice.

"What's up?"

"Dave called. Wanted to know about you quitting."

"He knows everything. No more tours, no more albums, okay? I wanna be left alone. This is the only place I can do that and what's more? My family's here, I refuse to leave them again. I made that mistake twice already. I'm not gonna hit the third."

Rob glared at Jamie. Only Natalie seemed to notice. She shot her eyes to the floor to avoid Rob noticing. Jamie moved towards the door.

"James? Where are you going?"

Jamie turned around to hear what his father had to say. He looked Natalie, to his father, to his mother to Rob.

"Out."

With that, Jamie exited the house "accidentally" shouldering Rob in the process. Natalie looked after Jamie as he walked out of the house to his car. He violently slammed his car door and him shouldering Rob didn't look like an accident at all. Natalie thought about what could have possibly happened between the two, Rob and Jamie. _Is he the reason why he was being such a jerk last night?_ Natalie looked at Rob without expression. He face was unreadable. Not one person could interpret her thoughts, and she was damn happy about it. Natalie decided to take after Jamie. _He can't be that far ahead, besides, I know where he's headed._ Nathan and Haley both watched as Natalie headed out as well. They were both confused.

"I'll be back." Natalie left.

"What the hell just happened?"

Nathan looked at Haley after she had asked her question. He shook his head to let her know that he was in as much confusion as she was. Rob shook off Haley and Nathan's confusion and waited for Nathan to leave them alone. After he saw Nathan disappear into the kitchen, he lowered his voice.

"You have to come back."

"No, Rob. Okay? I'm done with it."

"Who am I gonna open up for? What about all of our fun times."

"I am **not** leaving them. Natalie's already pissed with me and I refuse to back down from trying to get her to forgive me. Jamie was glad I was back, until last night. I have no idea why he wants me to leave all of a sudden…"

"…He wants you to leave?" Rob, all of a sudden sounded concerned. His voice changed from conniving to soft, but it went unnoticed by Haley.

"Yeah…" She began to choke tears. "…And I don't even know why." Rob went to hug her, but Nathan came running to her aid when he heard her crying.

"What did you do? Hales, you okay?"

"Yeah I'm fine. It wasn't Rob." Nathan swung his arm around Haley's neck as she began to cry in the crook of his neck. He placed a lingering kiss on her forehead. Rob looked at the scene in front of him with a look of jealousy. He looked at the floor to avoid seeing it. He cracked his knuckles to get rid of the nerves building up in him. Rob decided to get out of it.

"Okay, well I'm gonna…go. Uh, Haley? Think about it."

"There's nothing to think about Rob."

"Fine."

Rob left and Nathan pulled Haley closer to him.

"Thank God."

"For?"

"You staying. I dunno if I could relive it all over again."

Haley caressed his face. She took a deep breath and pulled him towards her and she grazed her lips against his. He went to deepen it, but she pulled away slowly, teasing him, as he tried to find her lips.

"No fair." He pouted and she giggled, heading towards the kitchen. "Oh no, you're not getting away _that_ easily."

232323

Jamie parked his car and walked across the street. The red-bricked building stood before him. He ascended the metal staircase leading to the back door. When he approached the large steel door, he grabbed a key from the front pocket of his jeans. He heard the lock **click** and entered. He switched the lights on in the building and he waked into the main area. He looked around at the empty club that stood before him. He shoved his hands into his pockets and walked over to the stage. With one hop he placed his rear on the stage as his legs swung back and forth on the edge of the stage, He looked behind him, there sat a keyboard on a stand. He exhaled. He didn't notice that he had been holding his breath. He hung his head and sighed in frustration. _ What the hell did you get yourself into you idiot? You told your mother to leave. I don't want her to leave. The past 3 years have been nothing, but hell for Natalie, dad and me. _Jamie was so consumed in his thoughts that he didn't hear the footsteps come up behind him. He only noticed when he saw a female figure sit beside him.

"So this is the view from here huh?"

Jamie looked at Natalie. He hung his head again.

"What are you doing here?"

"Surprised?"

"A little. I thought you were angry with me."

"I am, but that doesn't mean I won't show my concern for you. You're my brother and despite what happened in the early hours this morning, I still love you."

"Thanks Nats."

Natalie looked at Jamie. Her intuitions were correct. Jamie was scared, for what? She couldn't explain. His eyes were so distant, he was guilty of something, and the way he looked at Rob this morning was the cherry on top of the sundae of grief that Jamie held within him. She put an arm around her brother and leaned her head on his shoulder.

"Jamie?"

"Yeah?"

"Did something happen with Rob?" Jamie looked at Natalie and looked back down at the floor.

"No…"

"You can't fool me Jamie. I've known you all my life, you were shooting daggers at him with your eyes this morning."

"I just don't trust him."

"Why?"

"He just shows up out of the blue."

"He's on vacation. Tree Hill happens to be the place to get away from the madness."

Rob's voice rang in Jamie's ears _no one will believe you because I haven't given them a reason not to trust me._ Jamie kept quiet. Natalie sighed and stood from her spot on the stage.

"Okay…I've tried to get you to talk to me, tried to get you to tell me what's wrong so that I can help you, but it's hopeless."

"I can't tell you Nat."

"Why not?"

"You wouldn't understand. It's complicated."

"Then uncomplicated it Jamie. I don't like this side of you, so secretive and cold. It's not you. Whatever did this to you, get rid of it. Because this version of doesn't work for me."

"Natalie…"

"Jamie, I have a week off and so do you. In that time, forget that I'm here okay? Don't come near me. As of now, I have nothing to say to you."

Natalie exited the club. Jamie could hear the slamming of the door and her sighs of frustration. Tears were coming down his face. He got up from his spot and sat in the seat that was behind the keyboard. Trying to calm his nerves, he placed his hands on the keys and began to play.

_Let it go,  
Let it roll right off your shoulder  
Don't you know  
The hardest part is over   
Let it in,  
Let your clarity define you  in the end  
We will only just remember how it feels_

_Our lives are made  
In these small hours  
These little wonders,   
These twists & turns of fate   
Time falls away,  
But these small hours,  
These small hours still remain_

_All of my regret  
Will wash away somehow    
But I cannot forget    
The way I feel right now     
In these small hours   
These little wonders    
These twists & turns of fate    
Yeah, these twists & turns of fate  
Time falls away yeah,  
But these small hours  
These small hours,  
Still remain,    
Still remain    
These little wonders    
These twists & turns of fate    
Time falls away    
But these small hours    
These little wonders still remain_

As Jamie's took his fingers off the keys of his keyboard, a single applause was heard. He looked in the direction that he heard them clapping and the sight sickened him. Rob was walking toward the stage with that stupid grin on his face that Jamie despised. He stopped walking when he was about a foot away from the stage. He still applauded.

"What are you doing?"

"What? I can't applaud a good performance?"

"What are you doing here? I could report you for stalking."

"You could…but you won't. You don't have the balls to put your family in danger."

"She's not leaving."

"You're not trying hard enough."

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT FROM ME? YOU SICK BASTARD."

"Calm yourself."

"DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO. YOU SICK BASTARD I CAN'T DO THIS TO HER. SHE'S MY MOTHER."

"You mean to tell me that after what she did to you guys you forgive her?"

"What do you mean?"

"Didn't she dismiss you guys in L.A?"

Jamie lost his temper. He launched himself at Rob, pinning him against the floor of Tric. Rob kneed him in the back, getting out of Jamie's grasp and rolling them over so he was on top of Jamie. He pinned Jamie's hands, which were balled up into fists, trying to get free, to the cold, ceramic floor of the club.

"It was you. You told security to get rid of us." Rob laughed.

"You figure that out now? You disappoint me Jamie. I thought you would have figured that out by last night, when we made our agreement."

Jamie had newfound strength. He lifted his fists off of the floor and let one fly into Rob's jaw. Rob flew off of Jamie and Jamie took the opportunity to run. Rob's reflexes were too good. He ran after Jamie and jumped onto his back, sending the both of them to the floor. Rob threw a punch into Jamie's eye and grabbed his hair and smashed his head to the floor. Jamie became unconscious. Realizing the stupidity of his actions, Rob fled the scene, leaving Jamie, laying there, none of them knowing what it would bring.

232323

Natalie roamed the halls of her High School. Spring break came to an end and she was back in her hell hole…well, one of them. As she walked the halls, a familiar grasp came linked their arms together.

"Best friend, refreshed for the rest of this crap we have to endure?"

"Not really."

"Worried about your brother?"

"Yeah."

"I'm sure he's fine."

"I don't get it. He just…left. It's like he disappeared. And I feel I'm to blame."

"Why?"

"I told said some things, accused someone of something I know nothing about."

Molly looked to the floor and kept walking with Natalie to her locker. "Oh."

"Hey can I ask you something?"

"Always."

"Uh…did he say anything about the second night he played? The night I got into the fight?"

"He wasn't feeling well and he had a mishap."

"A mishap?"

"He got into a sticky situation."

"Like?"

"I can't say."

"Unbelievable. He tells you, but he wouldn't tell me."

"He didn't tell me by choice, I sort of eavesdropped."

"Can you tell me what happened?"

"No, I can't. I'm sworn to secrecy."

"Molly…"

"I'm sorry."

Molly walked away, leaving a confused Natalie standing in the middle of the hallway, looking after her best friend as she walked away. Natalie made a right and headed for her locker. On her way there, she was so consumed in her thoughts that she did not realize that she collided with someone. Noticing the mass of papers sprawled, she bent down to help the other person.

"Sorry."

The other looked at Natalie and smiled. Natalie hadn't noticed whom she had collided with. She only continued to gather the papers that she had aided in dropping. Natalie had looked at the one she collided with and sighed. _Of course, the universe __**must**__ hate me_. Haley smiled at her and helped Natalie to retrieve the papers that had fallen. Natalie stood as she gathered the last of the papers. She handed them to Haley.

"Here."

"Thanks. Noticed you switched out of the class I'm teaching that you were in."

"Yeah. I was told this morning. Guess they forgot that I was in the class they assigned you to when they hired you."

"Yeah." Natalie gave Haley a nod and began to walk away.

"Natalie?" Natalie turned her head. Haley looked at her. Natalie noticed Haley's expressions for the first time. They were soft, but full of sadness and guilt. She was hurting. _Yeah, but so are you._ The little voice in Natalie's head would not shut up.

"Yeah?"

"Do you think I could get a ride with you when the day's done?" Natalie looked at Haley and gave a slight smirk.

"Sure."

Haley's small grin turned into a full smile and Natalie continued to walk. She stopped in front of her locker and input her combination. Haley only continued to watch Natalie. Natalie opened her locker and put the books that she no longer needed in them. Haley then saw something that scared her, Natalie threw a pill in her mouth and let the water follow it. Natalie instantly relaxed, closed her locker door and headed to the library for her free period Haley only stood there, tears were threatening to form in her eyes. She shook her head and continued to walk to the staff room. Natalie was popping pills.

232323

**A/N: ** Dun dun dun. Okay so, yeah I told you…DRAMA. This chapter turned out to be better than I expected. I guess the final two scenes made it exciting…well, for me anyways. Uh, yeah…so wanna beat Carrie and again, if anyone wants to join "Chicks with Sticks," I say **Chicks** because for some strange reason, guys who watch OTH at my school seem to think Carrie's hot…(vomit) unless you're a guy and wanna beat her up too. Anyways, anyone wanting to join is more than welcome too…lol! Another chapter is coming up within a week or two. _**PLEASE**_ review! Go on…

P.S: the song used is "Little Wonders" by Rob Thomas!


	10. Nina and Norman

**A/N: **Okay, so here we go. Thanks to all for reviewing…means a lot to me! Also...a shout out to all of the members of Chicks with Sticks…we advance NOW! That little home-wrecking st is going to get beaten to a pulp with my effectual black belt fists, which, not to sound cocky, DO hurt…ask my sparring partners…So Carrie, LAY OFF!

232323

Haley's small grin turned into a full smile and Natalie continued to walk. She stopped in front of her locker and input her combination. Haley only continued to watch Natalie. Natalie opened her locker and put the books that she no longer needed in them. Haley then saw something that scared her, Natalie threw a pill in her mouth and let the water follow it. Natalie instantly relaxed, closed her locker door and headed to the library for her free period Haley only stood there, tears were threatening to form in her eyes. She shook her head and continued to walk to the staff room. Natalie was popping pills. _I couldn't have seen what I just saw. It's impossible. Were things so bad for Natalie? How had it started? _So many questions fluttered through Haley's mind. She walked frantically down the now, empty hallway. She turned the corner and assed by the library where she noticed Natalie at one of the study tables. A tear fell from Haley's eye. It hurt her to see what Natalie's life had become. Natalie had her iPod in her ears, blaring music to fit her mood. She looked up and saw Haley looking at her intently. Haley had a look of concern on her face and Natalie became confused. She looked at Haley and gave a small wave. Haley only left and walked towards her office. Natalie only continued to be confused. She packed her bag and left the library. Natalie headed for the gym, she needed her therapy.

232323

Natalie made free throw after free throw. She glanced at the clock and noticed that she had 5 minutes left before the bell rang. She put the ball back on the rack and walked towards the bleachers where her bag was. She stuffed her hands into her sweater pocket. She felt the paper where her lyrics were written on. She pulled them out of her pocket and glanced at them.

_Saw you last night_

_You didn't know it was me_

_Pain re-surfaced at the sight  
Of you standing ardently_

_You wouldn't see me  
You walked away  
From everything you've known to be  
Now I feel out of place  
Feel like I'm running a race  
When I know I can't win  
Seeing you again  
Makes me lose my place within_

_You stayed silent for so long  
Maybe it's just all in my mind  
But, I wonder where we went wrong  
Maybe you're just wasting my time_

Natalie reached into her back pocket and took out her pen. She sat on the bleachers and crossed her legs. Her flawless writing began to adore the paper that she held.

_We tried to go on  
But, it's useless  
I cannot be a pawn  
In this game of life  
Time is no longer on our side  
And even if we tried  
The more you speak  
The more your words wrench like a knife_

The bell sounded to end the second period. Natalie shoved her lyrics into her sweater and her pen into her pocket. She grabbed her bag and headed for her next period.

232323

The end of the day came quickly. Natalie headed to her locker to gather the books she'd need to complete her homework. She closed her locker and headed towards the English department to wait for Haley. On her way, she spotted Molly. Natalie just walked past her, not even taking a look at her. Molly followed Natalie.

"Nat. Wait!"

"For what? You gonna tell me something that I need to know?"

"I can't. I told you."

"Then I guess I should go. You're wasting my time."

"Nat! I wish I could tell you. Damn it, I wanna tell you everything, but I can't. You're my best friend and it kills me that I can't tell you because I know I'm letting you down."

Natalie looked at Molly. She could see the sincerity of her words. Natalie tried to avoid Molly's gaze. Natalie hugged Molly. Molly sighed in relief.

"Only because I love you so much got it?" Molly only let out a small giggle.

"So…how's Jamie?"

"I dunno."

"You mean…he hasn't called?"

"No, no…he has. At least he's alive."

Natalie recalled when she received the phone call from her brother.

_**One week prior**_

_Natalie had been sitting in her room, reading and doing her homework when her cell phone had begun to ring. She was brought out of her novel. She reached into her pocket and glanced at the caller ID. __**Jamie**__. Natalie quickly opened the receiver and spoke._

"_Jamie?"_

"…_Hi Nat."_

"_Are you okay?"_

"_Yeah, uh…I'm so sorry Nibs. I screwed up royally."_

"_Where are you? Are you okay? You don't sound too good."_

"_I'll be fine, I'm just…heading back to school."_

"_What?!"_

"_Nibs, I need you to do me a favour."_

"_Not until you tell me what's going on Jamie."_

"_I made a huge mistake and because of me, people will get hurt."_

"_What do you mean hurt?"_

"_Does it matter? Pain is pain. Nat I need you to tell mom that I love her okay? And tell her to stay. Tell dad not to let her go."_

"_Jamie you're scaring the crap out of me. Tell me what's going on."_

"_I'm sorry Nat. Just promise me you'll do what I ask."_

"_I will, but…"_

_The dial tone sounded in Natalie's ear. She shut her phone and glanced at the piece of metal in the palm of her hand. She dropped it on her bed and headed down the stairs. She entered the kitchen where Nathan and Haley stood at the counter, both wondering where Jamie was. It had been over 5 hours since he stormed out of the house. It wasn't like him to not check in with the house to let them know where he was, or at least let them know if he was alive. Natalie cleared her throat to make her presence known. Nathan and Haley both looked at her._

"_Anything kid?"_

"_He called my cell."_

"_And?"_

"_He's okay, but he sounded really weird."_

"_Where is he?"_

"_He said he was heading back to school."_

_Nathan sighed in relief. He grabbed Haley's hand and gave it a small squeeze. The both of them sighed in relief. __**At least he's okay.**__ Natalie headed for the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water. _

"_There's more."_

_Nathan and Haley shot their heads in the direction of Natalie's voice. She took a sip of her water and sighed. She leaned against the counter behind her, using her hands to hold her up. She had her legs crossed. She directed her words to Haley._

"_He said that he loves you and he's sorry, and he also said for you to stay." Natalie could see a small smirk form on Haley's face and Natalie's heart felt a little lighter. _

"_And dad? He said for you not to let her go." _

_Nathan looked at Natalie and wondered if these were truly Jamie's words or if Natalie was just saying them to put their minds at ease. __**She wouldn't do that.**__**She's not twisted.**__ Haley yawned and Nathan noticed._

"_Tired?"_

"_A little. I think I'll just take a nap."_

"_Okay." Nathan kissed her forehead and Natalie waited until she was out of earshot and then turned towards her dad._

"_There's more."_

"_What? Why didn't you say anything?"_

"_I didn't want to worry her."_

_Nathan looked at Natalie and waited for her to continue._

"_He said that he made a huge mistake and that because of him people would get hurt. Now what he did, I have no clue. He wouldn't tell me. But, he didn't sound well dad."_

_Nathan only stared at Natalie and took a deep breath to keep him from saying anything he didn't mean. __**Hurt? **__Natalie looked just as confused as Nathan and the two of them sat there in silence._

"_Maybe he was talking about what he said to Haley."_

"_I hope so."_

232323

"Okay best friend, you are obviously in La-La Land so I'm gonna head outta here."

Natalie shook her thoughts away. "Yeah okay."

"I'll call you later? You can help me with Chem?"

"Yeah sure, although it's the worst subject I have."

"Okay see ya."

"Bye."

Molly disappeared behind the staircase door. Natalie continued to walk to the English department, which was located on the next left turn. Natalie held onto her bag strap that was resting on her shoulder. She waved at people she knew as she made the turn and became closer to her destination. When she got there, Haley still hadn't come out. So, Natalie leaned on the wall opposite of the door. People casually waved to her and in return she's smirk, nod or wave.

"Miss Scott." Natalie's head shot in the direction of the voice.

"Hi Mr. Thomas."

"May I ask what you're doing here?"

"I'm waiting for Mrs. James-Scott."

"Ah yes. You'll have to excuse my memory. And it's a good thing you're here I wanted to speak with you about the in-class essay that you wrote today."

"You read it already?"

"I had a free period and yours was the first one on the pile, so yes."

"I know it was horrible, I'm having a tough time adjusting to everything."

"As a matter of fact, it was quite the opposite of horrible. You never cease to amaze me young lady. I gave you a 97."

"Heh?"

"I had to dock off a few marks for a few grammatical errors but, other than that, it was terrific. What do you plan to do with your life?"

"Uh…medicine."

"Good choice." Mr. Thomas decided to head into the department room. "I'll let Mrs. Scott know you're waiting."

"Thanks sir."

Natalie shook her head in disbelief. _A 97? I thought it was crap. _The essay was about truth and how tragedy reveals it. _I thought it was a stupid topic and completely flunked it. Guess not. _Natalie saw the door open and there stood Haley. A sad expression bore her face. Natalie wondered what could possibly be wrong with her and she questioned her.

"You okay?"

"Yeah. You ready?"

"Yeah."

The two of them descended the stairs and walked into the main hallway leading to the quad. Natalie glanced at Haley and realized that she must have had a bad day because her face now had an expression of bitterness. _What is she thinking about? _Natalie and Haley walked in awkward silence to the parking lot. Haley looked at Natalie and noticed that her face was full of confusion. _What is so horrible in her life? Other than the fact that you haven't been here in 3 years? Shut up. _Haley found herself going a little insane. She was telling herself to shut up. _I can't believe what I saw. How did she fall? _A small tear threatened to fall from her eye. She remembered Deb and her struggle with pills. Haley followed Natalie into the parking lot and she stopped in front of her car. Natalie went to the driver's side and unlocked the doors. The two of them entered the car and Natalie tossed her bag in the back seat. She put her key into the ignition and the music blared.

_Am I just like you?  
All the things you do?  
Can't help myself_

_How do you feel when there's no sun?  
And how will be when rain clouds come  
And pull you down again?  
How will you feel when there's no one?  
Am I just like you?_

Natalie instantly lowered the blaring rock music.

"Sorry."

"It's okay. I like that song." Haley turned the volume up again. She noticed Natalie smirking and nod in approval.

_Don't ever feel that you're alone  
I'll never let you down  
I'll never leave you dry  
Don't fall apart  
Don't let it go  
Carry the notion  
Carry the notion back to me_

_Feeling the moment slip away  
Feeling the moment slip away_

_Guess I'm just like you  
How do you feel when there's no sun?  
And how will be when rain clouds come  
And pull you down again?  
How will you feel when there's no one?  
Am I just like you?_

Everything in the car went quiet. All that could be heard was the sound of the cars passing by on the road. Another song on Natalie's CD began to play.

_Ten out of ten  
For a race already run  
Bleeding the world because  
They can't figure out what's wrong_

"So I'm gonna drop us off at **Lil's Place** cuz I gotta work and then you can take the car."

"Okay." Haley had been distant, not at all trying to get Natalie to talk to her, which, in Natalie's view, was weird. She only leaned on the door and looked out at the world through the window.

_So come back down  
From your daydream high  
There's a million ways to  
Believe you've tried  
Well I'm  
Unsatisfied  
Just sick and tired of all I've tried  
Unsatisfied_

Natalie turned the car and went straight into the parking lot. She stopped in front of the door and turned to grab her bag. She was about to exit the car when Haley grabbed a hold of her wrist.

"Natalie. I'm not going anywhere. And if you need me for anything, I'll be here okay?"

Natalie looked at Haley and felt Haley's grasp on her wrist. It wasn't tight, but it wasn't loose. It was firm and serious. Like she was hanging onto something that she thought she would lose. She then looked at Haley and saw the sincerity that sat within her. Natalie nodded and then exited the car. Haley did the same and headed for the other side. Haley climbed into the car and watched Natalie enter the small café. She watched her through the window as Natalie hugged a co-worker and then Natalie disappeared into the back. Haley drove out of the parking lot as Placebo infiltrated her ears. **She's sad.**

_It's in the water baby, it's in the pills that bring you down    
It's in the water baby, it's in your bag of golden brown    
It's in the water baby, it's in your frequency    
It's in the water baby, it's between you and me_

Natalie placed her bag on the floor in the kitchen of the café, and put her apron on.

_It's in the water baby, it's in the pills that pick you up    
It's in the water baby, it's in the special way we fk    
It's in the water baby, it's in your family tree    
It's in the water baby, it's between you and me_

Haley looked in the rearview mirror, taking a final glance at the café as she made a right turn. She could feel nothing, but worry for Natalie and how she could be the cause of it.

_Bite the hand that feeds    
Tap the vein that bleeds    
Down on my bended knees    
I break the back of love for you    
I break the back of love for you    
I break the back of love for you    
I break the back of love for you_

Natalie had finished an order from a customer and was feeling a little wiped. She'd been there 5 minutes and already made 2 orders. Lily looked at Natalie and raised an eyebrow.

"You okay?"

Natalie looked towards the front pocket of her bag.

"I will be."

_It's in the water baby, it's in the pills that bring you down    
It's in the water baby, it's in your bag of golden brown    
It's in the water baby, it's in your frequency    
It's in the water baby, it's between you and me_

Haley kept driving on the road. She finally came to the street she was looking for and was familiar with.

Natalie put the spatula near the grill and walked towards her bag. She was alone. She grabbed her bottle of water in her bag and her hands headed for the front pocket of her bag. She pulled out a small container of pills. She shook one out of the bottle and put the bottle back into her bag. She took the single pill in her hand and put it into her mouth. She then drank her water to wash it down.

_Bite the hand that feeds    
Tap the vein that bleeds    
Down on my bended knees    
I break the back of love for you    
I break the back of love for you    
I break the back of love for you    
I break the back of love for you    
I break the back of love for you    
I break the back of love for you    
I break the back of love for you    
I break the back of love for you_

Haley finally made it to the house. She drove the car into the driveway and parked it at the end of the driveway. She took the key out of the ignition and leaned her head on the steering wheel. She took a deep breath and held it. _When did life become such a mess? _She exhaled and wiped the few tears that had formed in her eyes, but didn't fall. She breathed and exited the car. She opened the back door and extracted her belongings from the car. She closed the door and locked the car. She headed for the front door. She walked up the stone steps and unlocked on the front door. The click signaled that the door was opened and she entered the house. She put her papers on the hallway table at the entrance and set the keys on the table as well. Her bag still hanging from her shoulder and closed the door behind her. She took off her shoes and headed for the kitchen. She heard girly giggles. She peaked into the kitchen and saw a little girl giggling at Nathan. She leaned against the entrance of the kitchen. She smirked as Nathan continued to tickle the little girl. Her blonde hair wisped back and forth and the smile on her face was priceless. She had chocolate all over her face, which Haley only assumed was from the ice cream that she was eating; her bowl still sat in front of the young one, melting. Nathan could feel the burning sensation on his rib cage. Someone was watching him and he looked to his right to see Haley standing there. The little girl's giggles calmed down and she looked where Nathan was looking. She looked between Nathan and Haley and smirked.

"Uncle Nate, stop drooling. I know she's pwetty, but how can she kiss you with all that drool on your face?"

Nathan turned a shade of beet red and while wiping the supposed "drool" off of his face he turned to the little girl and rubbed his hand in her hair messing it up.

"Uncle Nate. Stop. I worked hard on my look."

"You? Or your mom?"

"Does it matter? Don't you know that you don't mess wif my hair?"

"I'm sorry." Nathan looked to Haley leaning against the doorway. He noted the expression that was on her face. Full of love, which he assumed was for him, but there were other elements in her expression: sadness and concern.

"Baby H, why don't you go wash up. You've got chocolate ice cream all over your face."

"Otay." Nathan watched little Haley skip off to the bathroom at the end of the hallway. He walked over to Haley and wrapped his arms around her waist and left a lingering kiss on her mouth.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah…just had a rough day."

"Are you sure? You seem sad and concerned about something."

"It's nothing." _Nothing? Great way to be honest with him Haley. Real nice. __**Hey Nathan, our daughter's popping pills.**__ That would make for a great conversation. _Nathan just let it go and took her word for it. A little girl came running back towards Nathan.

"Uncle Nate? Meeting please?"

Nathan bent down to little Haley's eye level and looked up at Haley and smirked. He picked up the little blondie in his arms and brought her to be eye level with Haley. The little one stuck her hand out.

"Haley Peyton Scott." Haley shook the little one's hand and smiled and laughed a light laugh.

"Haley James-Scott."

"I know. I know your songs. Uncle Nate used to play them all the time when he wanted to hear your voi – "

" – OKAY…maybe we should put in a movie and order pizza how bout that kiddo?"

"With pepperoni?"

"Lots of it."

"Alwight!"

Little Haley ran into the living room, but stopped and turned.

"Aunt Hawey? You comin?"

Haley only smiled at the little one.

"Gimme a sec okay?"

At that, the little one continued to run to the living room. Haley looked at Nathan who was now dialing a phone number. She walked over to the counter and leaned against it, relaxing her elbows on the counter-top. He finished inputting his order and hung up the phone. He put himself in the same position that Haley was in and he faced her. He brought his hand to her cheek and cupped it. She closed her eyes at the touch of his hand and leaned into his touch. She grabbed his hand with hers and placed her palm on his fingers. He grabbed her hand and brought them to rest on the counter-top. He leaned over the counter and gave her a soft kiss. Her other hand was brought to his face. She brushed her hand across his forehead and moved it down to his cheek, making her way to his neck. His kiss lingered on her mouth and he was content.

"Eww." The two of them broke apart at the tiny voice that interrupted them. Both of them blushed in embarrassment and giggled. Nathan chased the little girl as Haley followed. She had to tell him what she saw.

232323

Jamie sat at his desk in his dorm. He tried to read, but it was impossible. There was way too much on his mind. He had escaped Rob, _for now, _but he knew that it wasn't the end of the bastard. Fear took over his body, just thinking about the man who had torn their family apart. _Why's the universe so against my family? Do we not deserve happiness? _Jamie blamed everything around him for what was happening. He gazed at his clock, 6:12. He got up from his chair at his desk and decided to take a walk around campus. It was still light out. He walked to the gymnasium. He walked through the large metal doors and looked at the dimly lit court that stood before him. He noticed the rack of balls that were left out, as if the universe was waiting for him to arrive. He grabbed a ball and dribbled it to the 3-point line. He took a shot and it went in. He chased the ball and began to do his own drills. He didn't think, he just played.

He had begun to sweat buckets. He was drenched from head to toe and he put the ball on the court to catch his breath. He then continued to play the game he loved and was able to share with his father and sister. He went to the free throw line and put up a successful shot. He smirked at his accomplishment and went to retrieve the ball from under the basket. He whipped the ball at the backboard and went for the dunk.

"Wow." He heard a voice behind him and it was familiar. The voice sent shivers of hatred and rage up his spine, making his back hairs stand up. He turned to greet the face.

"How are you rock star?" He shivered again at the pet name.

"Did you think you'd get rid of me that easily?"

"What do you want?"

232323

An empty pizza box laid on the coffee table in front of the three of them. The youngest had fallen asleep in between the other two, who glanced at the credits on the screen. _Just tell him Haley. You have to; you owe him at least that. _Haley looked at Nathan who was looking at the credits. His head was on his fist and he leaned on the arm of the couch. He yawned and they both noted the time. 7:12.

"I dunno how she can sleep right now." Nathan said as he glanced at the little 3 year-old. He looked at Haley who had a blank expression on her face. She was in deep thought.

"Hey? What's bothering you? You've been silent since you arrived."

"Just thinking."

"About?"

"A scenario."

"Anything I can help with?"

"Okay…uh…let's say that you had to tell someone something about someone they cared about, but you don't know how to or you're afraid of what the other person involved would say. What would you do?"

"Depends…"

"You look confused."

"I am, a little."

"Okay. I have a friend, Nina."

"Okay."

"I saw her do something that's not good."

"Okay."

"And I have to tell her friend, Norman, what I saw."

"Why?"

"Because he has to know, it has everything to do with him."

"Okay."

"Now, if I tell him, I'm afraid of what Nina will say to me. Like she'll hate me or not speak to me, which I can't have because she means a lot to me."

"Okay."

"So, do I tell Norman?"

"Depends. Does Nina mean a lot to Norman?"

"She's everything to him."

"Okay. Um, would Norman want to know?"

"I'm sure of it."

"What's Nina doing?"

"It's not good. Character altering and a life and death situation possibly."

"Then you have to tell Norman. If Nina's life is at risk, she's gonna need al the help she can get."

Haley sighed.

"I was afraid you'd say that."

"Did I help?"

"Yeah. But when I tell Norman, it won't be easy."

"I know. But you should tell him as soon as possible."

"You're right."

Haley grabbed Nathan's hand and kissed him. She held on a little longer than she believed she should have. She felt that once she told him, he might never see her the same way again. She was afraid that he would think that she would have never told him if she hadn't asked him for advice. That mistake almost ruined them the last time and she refused to have that happen again. She loved him too much to let that happen. Breath was becoming an issue. Reluctantly, she pulled away from him. His eyes were still closed and he had his eyebrows raised in delight and surprise. She looked at him and gave a small smile. She breathed. It was now or never.

"Wow."

Nathan tried to pull her in again, but she moved back.

"Haaales. No fair. You did that last time."

"I have to tell you something Nathan."

She was serious. The smirk he had on his face was gone. It was replaced with a look of worry.

"What is it?"

"You're Norman."

"What?"

"And, Natalie's Nina."

"What are you talking about Haley?"

"This morning, I saw Natalie in the hall. I went up to her to ask her for a ride after classes today. She agreed to give me a ride and headed for her locker, which, oddly enough, was literally a few paces away from where I was standing. I stood there, why I didn't move is just beyond me. I felt as if my feet were glued to the floor. I looked in Natalie's direction and I see her taking pills. She instantly relaxed. And I'm worried Nathan. I worried about her all day."

Nathan's expression fell further into fear. He was about to respond when, as if on cue, Natalie walked into the living room. She looked dead tired. Haley and Nathan looked at her with worried expressions on their faces. Natalie looked at them back and forth, wondering what they were staring at.

"What's up?" She instantly tensed.

"Uh, Haley saw something today. And it has to do with you." Natalie felt her nerves begin to surface.

"What did **Haley** see?" Natalie looked in Haley's direction. Haley looked back at her and she felt Nathan's hand on the small of her back to comfort her.

"Um…this morning, I saw you at your locker."

"A lot of people see me at my locker."

"I saw you taking pills." Natalie tensed up. _**Oh shit.**_ Her right hand came to her face and itched her jaw and massaged her chin. She laughed and rolled her eyes. Nathan looked at Natalie with an eyebrow raised at her.

"This isn't funny Natalie."

"It kind of is. Haha."

"Natalie…did you have pills at school?"

"Maybe."

"Natalie…tell the truth."

"You wanna talk about truth dad? Let's talk about truth. You wanna tell her how I got into the pills? Or do we not want to re-live that night? But, then again it wasn't pills that night was it? But. You're thankful for that night."

"Natalie. Stop it!"

Haley was so confused. She rubbed her eyes with her forefingers. _Good job idiot._

"Why? You said to tell the truth!"

"About the pills!"

"I can't _handle_ this dad. I'm not a junkie."

"Then explain the pills…"

232323

**A/N: **Okay there you go…an update. Hopefully I'll have another chapter up by Sunday. As for Carrie haters…we must unite and beat her! Pleeeease review!

P.S Songs used:

Feeling the Moment – Feeder (song used at the beginning of season 3 premier)  
Unsatisfied – Nine Black Alps (song used when Nathan scored the free throw when they faced Damien West and won the game)  
Post Blue – Placebo (used in season 4 after the first episode, when Nathan is on the court for the first time after the accident)


	11. Pancakes

**A/N: **Okay people…here we go! Uh before you get into the story I just want to say something…I may rant too much, but w/e…there is a fic on the website that I think is pretty great, so PLEEEASE check it out. It's called **Holding Onto You by xtaintedsongx. ** It's really good and please read and review it. It's different and I like it. So please, give it a chance. Thanks. Enjoy!

232323

_Nathan's expression fell further into fear. He was about to respond when, as if on cue, Natalie walked into the living room. She looked dead tired. Haley and Nathan looked at her with worried expressions on their faces. Natalie looked at them back and forth, wondering what they were staring at._

"_What's up?" She instantly tensed._

"_Uh, Haley saw something today. And it has to do with you." Natalie felt her nerves begin to surface._

"_What did __**Haley**__ see?" Natalie looked in Haley's direction. Haley looked back at her and she felt Nathan's hand on the small of her back to comfort her._

"_Um…this morning, I saw you at your locker."_

"_A lot of people see me at my locker."_

"_I saw you taking pills." Natalie tensed up. __**Oh shit.**__ Her right hand came to her face and itched her jaw and massaged her chin. She laughed and rolled her eyes. Nathan looked at Natalie with an eyebrow raised at her._

"_This isn't funny Natalie."_

"_It kind of is. Haha."_

"_Natalie…did you have pills at school?"_

"_Maybe."_

"_Natalie…tell the truth."_

"_You wanna talk about truth dad? Let's talk about truth. You wanna tell her how I got into the pills? Or do we not want to re-live that night? But, then again it wasn't pills that night was it? But. You're thankful for that night."_

"_Natalie. Stop it!"_

_Haley was so confused. She rubbed her eyes with her forefingers. Good job idiot._

"_Why? You said to tell the truth!"_

"_About the pills!"_

"_I can't __**handle **__this dad. I'm not a junkie."_

"_Then explain the pills…"_

232323

_Jamie sat at his desk in his dorm. He tried to read, but it was impossible. There was way too much on his mind. He had escaped Rob, for now, but he knew that it wasn't the end of the bastard. Fear took over his body, just thinking about the man who had torn their family apart. __**Why's the universe so against my family? Do we not deserve happiness?**__ Jamie blamed everything around him for what was happening. He gazed at his clock, 6:12. He got up from his chair at his desk and decided to take a walk around campus. It was still light out. He walked to the gymnasium. He walked through the large metal doors and looked at the dimly lit court that stood before him. He noticed the rack of balls that were left out, as if the universe was waiting for him to arrive. He grabbed a ball and dribbled it to the 3-point line. He took a shot and it went in. He chased the ball and began to do his own drills. He didn't think. He just played. _

_He had begun to sweat buckets. He was drenched from head to toe and he put the ball on the court to catch his breath. He then continued to play the game he loved and was able to share with his father and sister. He went to the free throw line and put up a successful shot. He smirked at his accomplishment and went to retrieve the ball from under the basket. He whipped the ball at the backboard and went for the dunk._

"_Wow." He heard a voice behind him and it was familiar. The voice sent shivers of hatred and rage up his spine, making his back hairs stand up. He turned to greet the face._

"_How are you rock star?" He shivered again at the pet name._

"_Did you think you'd get rid of me that easily?"_

"_What do you want?"_

"Oh c'mon. We both know the answer to that."

"Do not play games with me. I've had enough riddles to last me a lifetime this past week. I'll ask you one more time. What the hell do you want?"

"You used to be a good kid Jamie."

"Do not call me that. You lost that privilege a long time ago. And I still am a good kid. I just hate you with everything in me. Also, I'm 21 now, not the four-year-old you're used to."

"You don't hate me. You **did** call me 'mama' once."

"Yeah. **Once. ** And it was an accident. I was used to my mother being there for me and then she suddenly wasn't. She was working."

"She pretty much fed you to me."

"Shut up."

"You're trying to shut the voice inside your head that's saying I'm right. And that's okay. It's only natural. And…I wanna help you."

"Help me?"

"You clearly want your mother gone, as do I…"

"…I DON'T want her gone."

"That's the word…"

"The **word** is false. And you're just pathetic."

"Pathetic?"

"To think that I'd help you get what you want. You almost tore my family apart and to think that I liked you. The day I found out what you did, I vowed that I would **never** forgive you and that vow still stands to this day."

"Just remember I was there when she wasn't. You and your father deserve to have someone there **all** the time."

"And what about Natalie?"

"Her too."

"Right. How did I know you'd say that? Oh yeah, it's all been said before. I didn't fall for it then and I won't now. So stop trying to get rid of the one woman who did **everything** for my sister and I. You're not her, you never were her and you'll never be her. Stop trying to be better because she's the best."

Jamie looked at the woman he used to call "nanny Carrie." He looked at her with disdain and hatred.

"Carrie, if I were you, I'd leave my family and I alone. You try **any **crap and believe me, you'll be wishing the slap my mother gave you was what you were getting."

"And who'll be the person to steer clear from?"

"You haven't felt the wrath of Haley James-Scott or Natalie Scott."

232323

Natalie sat on the picnic table at the River Court. She looked down at the pill bottle in her hand and then looked out at the small river that floated behind the court. The wind blew through her dark brown hair and the cool air on her face was refreshing. She had to get out of the house after the interaction between her and her parents. Her stupid mistakes had ended up biting her in the ass. She stood on the seat of the table overlooking the river. She hopped off of the table and walked more towards the river. It was dark now and the reflection of the moon lay in the water. She looked up at the night sky. It was full of stars. She could see the constellation of her zodiac sign and her favourite constellation, Orion. Orion was an ancient Greek hunter and warrior. He held a club and a shield and had a sword dangling from his belt. Natalie found this particular to be her favourite because of his warrior status and his shield. It reminded her of the shield she had built to protect herself after the incident when she was 15. _But she didn't do anything wrong. _Despite the truth, Natalie knew that there would always be hurt because of the silence. She wanted for everything to rewind and go back to before all of this happened. When she was close with Haley. They used to talk about all kinds of things; school, clothes, boys…but those days were gone. **Gone.** _I wonder what they would feel if I were gone._ Natalie looked at her reflection in the river and then down at the bottle of pills that were still in her hand. Anger took over her. _Gone is not an option._ Natalie tightened the grip around the pills in her hand and back at the river in front of her. Her grip became tighter and she screamed. She released the full pill bottle by whipping it in the direction of the river. She feared that they would miss the river and make it to the other side from how hard she threw it. She watched it as it hit the surface of the water. She was sick of it, all of it. She looked back at the water and saw her reflection. She leaned forwards ever so slightly.

"DON'T JUMP."

"What? I wasn't going to jump. I'm not an idiot."

"Good. What are you doing up there?"

Natalie was a quick thinker, thankfully.

"(She pointed upwards) Better view of the stars. What are you two doing here?"

"You're father called your uncle and Peyton and I just happened to be at the house. Lucas is watching the little one and we wanted to know if you were okay."

"How'd you know where to find me?"

"What kind of Godmother would I be if I didn't know where my Godchild's sanctuary is?"

"Good point."

"Now c'mon tutor niece, get down from there."

Brooke held out her hand for Natalie to grab to help her off of the ledge. Natalie grabbed it with a smirk and hopped off of the ledge. Brooke and Peyton enveloped Natalie into a group hug.

"Okay guys, losing oxygen, can't breathe." They immediately let go of her.

"So rock star, you mind telling us what happened?"

"What do you mean?"

"What Peyton means is, what made your father call my husband that had him all worried?"

"Oh…**that**."

Natalie looked between Peyton and Brooke. They had impatient looks on their faces. _It's now or never._

"Okay. But let me just say, that way you don't misjudge me, that I am to blame for everything got it?"

The two of them nodded their heads in agreement and waited for her to tell them what happened only an hour before they showed up.

"_Natalie…did you have pills at school?"_

"_Maybe."_

"_Natalie…tell the truth."_

"_You wanna talk about truth dad? Let's talk about truth. You wanna tell her how I got into the pills? Or do we not want to re-live that night? But, then again it wasn't pills that night was it? But. You're thankful for that night."_

"_Natalie. Stop it!"_

_Haley was so confused. She rubbed her eyes with her forefingers. __**Good job idiot**_

"_Why? You said to tell the truth!"_

"_About the pills!"_

"_I can't __**handle **__this dad. I'm not a junkie."_

"_Then explain the pills…"_

_Natalie looked at her father in disbelief. She laughed._

"_Natalie! Tell her."_

"_Tell me what?"_

"_Uh-oh."_

"_Natalie. Stop the smart ass act and tell her."_

"_Why do I have to tell her?"_

"_It's your responsibility."_

"_Is that what you tell yourself to keep you from feeling guilty about lying to her?!"_

"_Natalie."_

"_What's going on?"_

_Nathan and Natalie looked at Haley who now had tears in her eyes. Natalie could feel her heart rate increase rapidly. She was taking deep breaths. She rubbed her eyes and sighed. Nathan looked at her with a raised eyebrow to tell her to release the truth._

"_I'm not a junkie. I would never do that because I know that it would kill the people I love dearly. Dad, Haley __**did **__see me take pills this morning. So she's no lying."_

"_What?"_

"_I took pills from the cabinet. You can check, they're gone." Nathan sighed in disappointment._

"_Why?"_

"_I hadn't had them in a week dad."_

"_WHAT?"_

"_Nathan. What is she talking about?"_

_Nathan looked at Haley with an apologetic look on his face._

"_I have hypertrophic cardiomyopathy."_

"_What?"_

"_I have HCM."_

_Haley looked at the two of them. Natalie went to her bag and went for the front pocket. She took the pills put of her bag and tossed them to Haley. Haley caught them and looked at the label and sure enough, they were prescribed to Natalie for her HCM. She tossed them back to Natalie who hung onto them._

"_Truth's out dad. Hope you're happy."_

_Natalie turned around and headed out the door, not looking back. She only wanted to go to the one place where she felt safe._

"Oh my God."

"She found out?"

"Oh my God."

"BROOKE. Could you stop?"

"Sorry."

"I know. I lied to her. My father lied to her. She lied to us. I feel like I owe her."

"Wow."

"What?"

"Yeah what Peyton?"

"Nothing it's just…I've never seen this side of you."

"What side?"

"The side where you're so honest and you admit to your faults. I mean that's really difficult Nat."

"Thanks."

232323

Nathan and Haley just stood, looking at each other. Either fearing to say anything. Haley's tears were unstoppable now. _HCM._ She rubbed her eye. Fatigue was slowly taking over her body. She breathed because it was the only thing she could do and it was the only thing certain in her life right now. She walked over to the couch that she had previously vacated. She couldn't stand up for she felt that she might faint. Nathan still stood, planted in the same spot, afraid that if he had followed Haley, she might push him away. He swallowed the lump in his throat. He took a deep breath and spoke.

"Please say something."

"I dunno what to say to you Nathan. This is all just, so surreal. It's just unbelievable. How could you not tell me about any of this Nathan?"

"It wasn't my place to tell."

"Oh really? And when would have I found out Nathan? **After** she had a heart attack? What made you think she would tell me right away?"

"She had to tell you. It's her responsibility."

"I had a right to know. Now tell me the truth. How and when did you guys figure this out?"

"It's not a fairy tale."

"I think I can handle it."

Nathan looked at Haley. She had a look of desperation on her face. He couldn't keep this from her, even if it would save her from heartache.

"Okay." Nathan went to sit beside Haley and turned his body so that he faced her. "If at any time during this, it becomes too much let me know and I'll stop okay?"

"Okay."

"Natalie has always been athletic. Basketball being her favourite sport. She did a lot of other things too. Hockey, soccer, jogging, you know… Anyways, the night we came to visit you…"

_Natalie plopped herself down on her bed in the hotel that the 3 of them were staying at. She needed to relax, but she couldn't. Nope, she was too angry at the world, angry at what her life had become. There was way too much tension in her body and she had too many nerves building in her. She needed to relieve it. There was only one thing that she could do. She was in a hotel and didn't know the neighbourhood well, so she couldn't go for a jog. The hotel had an indoor pool, so she decided to go for a swim. Jamie had decided to go with her because he felt uncomfortable for her to go alone. The two of them had arrived at the pool and noticed that it was vacated. There was not a single soul in sight. The lifeguard said he was going to return within the next 5 minutes. Natalie wasted no time. She jumped into the pool with all of her clothes on. _

"_You're crazy Nibs."_

"_What do you expect? I just wanna erase this whole damn night. I just wanna forget it ever happened."_

"_So do I. But, we can't. We're stuck with it."_

"_Yeah."_

_Natalie looked at the length of the pool. It was easily 100 feet long, maybe even more. Natalie could only think of relieving the anger and stress she felt. Speed swimming was the most appropriate at this time. _

"_How long do you think it could take me to swim the length and back?"_

"_I dunno."_

"_Wanna time me?"_

"_I dunno Nat."_

"_C'mon."_

"…_Fine. To the wall," Natalie smirked and still in her clothing, swam to the wall. She looked at Jamie who sat at the edge of the pool at the shallow end and waited for his sister to be ready. She climbed out of the pool and went to the deep end. She waited for her brother to give her the signal to go. He did and she dove into the water. She swam as fast as she could. She could feel the burn in her legs as she paddled and kicked at a speed that she did not know that she could reach. Those words still stung her ears. __**She said she has no time.**__ Those words stung and she only kicked faster. She had reached the end of the pool and turned around to swim back to her starting position. Jamie looked at his watch he had been timing her. 1:34 s. He looked up and saw Natalie approach the deep end again. Natalie kept swimming as hard and as quickly as she could. The burn was still in her muscles. Her right arm had grown tired. All of a sudden she felt pain run up her left arm and across her back. Her vision became fuzzy and she found it difficult to breathe. She was in the middle of the deep end. Her body just stopped. She was gasping for air._

"_Natalie?" Her body was sinking._

"_NATALIE!" Jamie had run from his spot on the edge of the pool. He dove into the deep end and went to retrieve her body. The lifeguard had just returned from his little "errand" and noticed Jamie head into the pool after his sister. Jamie's head became visible and he had Natalie in his arms. He kicked to the wall and the lifeguard came to his aid. HE picked Natalie up and put her on solid ground. The lifeguard checked her pulse._

"_She's gone into full cardiac arrest."_

"_WHAT?"_

"_Call for help. GO!"_

_Jamie whipped out his cell phone and called an ambulance. After he made the call he called his father. He waited for him to answer the phone. After the 3__rd__ ring, Nathan picked up._

"_Dad?"_

"_Jamie?"_

"_Get down o the pool."_

"_Why?"_

"_It's Natalie."_

"_What about her?"_

"_She had a heart attack."_

Natalie recalled the night she had discovered that she had HCM. A tear formed in her eye. It was the night she lost everything or almost everything. She couldn't play intense sports anymore and she had lost her mother. _Maybe it's time._ She had two sets of arms around her shoulders. They belonged to her two aunts, Brooke and Peyton. She smirked at the two of them as they whispered things to make her feel better about her situation. She looked at both of them, moving her eyes from Brooke to Peyton and so on. She hopped off of the picnic table.

"Thanks you two. For the comfort. But, I think it's time."

"Time? Tutor niece what are you talking about?"

"I think it's time I gave Haley a chance to be my mother again. I mean, I am like her in more ways than she thinks."

Peyton and Brooke looked at Natalie and smiled.

"Maybe she's still at my house. I gotta get going. Bye and thanks."

Natalie walked towards the table and pulled each of them into individual hugs. She looked at them and exhaled. She then turned and walked to her car. She left the River Court, and nothing could prepare her for anything anymore.

232323

Haley sat there in shock. She was the cause of it all. She was crying fully now. Every emotion except for happiness, excitement and hope were written on her face. She put her hands together, softly and clasped them. She leaned her head on the clasp that her hands had. She stood up and walked away from where Nathan sat. She made her way into the kitchen. Nathan stood and followed her. She was gathering her things. She grabbed her jacket that hung on the chair and put it on.

"What are you doing? Where are you going?"

"I can't be here Nathan. She hates me and it's clear that she had that first heart attack because of me."

"That's not true."

"Yes it is Nathan. If whoever told you guys…_that_, hadn't told you then she wouldn't have swam that hard."

" Haley, one way or another we would have found out about it. This is not your fault okay? So stop putting the blame on yourself. It hurts me to see you like this."

"I should go."

"No Haley…"

"…she won't want me here Nathan." She turned to walk away, but he grabbed her arm and pulled her to him.

"I want you here. Just please don't go."

"I'm sorry Nathan."

Haley yanked her hand from Nathan's grasp. He stood there dumb-founded just looking at her with confusion written all over his face. He watched her walk out of the house without a single glance back at him. He stared at the now closed door, hoping it would open again and she would run to him, but it didn't happen.

232323

Natalie sat in her car outside a convenience store. Music blared through her speakers and she looked down at the teddy bear in her lap. It resembled the teddy bear that her mother had as a kid. She had called him "Mr. Waffles." Natalie smirked at the name. She went to the store after she had her talk with her two aunts. _It's a peace offering. _Natalie recalled the day Haley gave her Pancakes, her own stuffed animal. Pancakes was a teddy bear as well.

_Natalie was 6 at the time and she was shopping with Haley, while Nathan took Jamie to watch a basketball game. The two of them had spent the entire day at the mall with Brooke and Peyton and Natalie had been a little angel. She was the most patient child and was always full of smiles. She held onto her mother's hand the entire day and never complained. Haley had decided to let Peyton and Brooke take her for a little stroll to grab some ice cream in the food court. Haley saw it as an opportunity to get her daughter a small gift. She stumbled upon a little shop full of the most adorable teddy bears and one of them caught Haley's eye. It resembled her own teddy bear from way back when. The only difference was the colour of the t-shirt hat the bear wore. Haley grabbed it off of the shelf and purchased it for her daughter. Within minutes she found Brooke, Peyton and Natalie all sitting at a table in the food court and Natalie's face was covered in chocolate ice cream. _

"_Well, well Miss Scott. Are you eating that ice cream or wearing it?"_

"_Don't be silly mommy. I only eat ice cream." Haley giggled._

"_Well young lady, it's missing your mouth entirely."_

_Haley bent down to be eye level with her daughter and grabbed a napkin off of the table. She wiped Natalie's face and soon the chocolate was removed._

"_Mommy, I think you got it all."_

"_Okay, time to go home."_

"_Aww. Why?"_

"_Fine. We can stay, but then you won't get the present I got you…"_

"…_What are we waiting for? Let's go home."_

Haley was driving to her apartment. She had been thinking of Natalie and about the time she had gotten her, her teddy bear. She was the cutest 6 year-old, besides Jamie, obviously. She had spent the entire day shopping with Brooke, Peyton and Natalie and it was a day to remember. She recalled when she gave her "Pancakes."

"_Okay mommy. What chu get me?"_

"_Be patient kid."_

"_Otay."_

_Natalie sat on Haley's bed and rested her hands in her lap while she waited for her mother to take the things she bought out of the bags and put them in their rightful places. She had to look at Natalie and laugh because Natalie sat there staring at the wall opposite to her. She was "waiting patiently." Haley laughed and walked over to Natalie and kneeled before her. Natalie looked down at her with excitement in her eyes and smiled._

"_Is it time yet?"_

"_Yes. You ready?"_

"_Always."_

_Haley went to the closet and Natalie moved her body forward to try to sneak a peek at the gift, but it was no use. It was in an opaque bag and Natalie smiled as Haley came closer to her. She gave Natalie the bag and Natalie quickly took the item out of it. Se held to bear and looked at it. She smiled._

"_It's like yours."_

"_How would you know that? Mr. Waffles was before you."_

"_Daddy told me about him."_

"_Oh. What are you gonna name him?"_

"_Pancakes."_

Natalie grinned at the teddy bear that she saw before her. This one was identical to Mr. Waffles and she hoped that Haley would like it. She was about to restart her car when her cell phone went off. **Jamie.**

"Jamie?"

"Nat?"

"Yeah. What's up?"

"Don't leave mom alone."

"What?"

"Mom, DON'T leave her alone."

"Why?"

"I'm sick of hiding Nat."

"From?"

"Rob."

"Rob?"

"Yeah. Mom's friend from the tour, he threatened me."

"WHAT?"

"He wanted her to go back to the tour. The guy's insane"

"Shit! Jamie what the hell? Why tell me now?"

"I just…I'm tired of people trying to pry us apart. I'm sick of it all and I'm fighting back now."

"Jamie I gotta go." Natalie hung up her phone and decided to head to Haley's apartment. She dialed a familiar number and waited for someone to pick up.

"Dad?"

"Nat?"

"Is Haley still with you?"

"No. she's gone why?"

"Jamie called."

"And?"

"He said Rob threatened him."

"WHAT?!"

"He said Rob threatened him."

"How."

"I dunno, he wouldn't say. Dad you have to get to her place quick."

"I'm going." Nathan hung up.

Her GPS system guided her to the familiar building that her father had once shown her. She pulled up to the building and parked near the street but she could still see apartment 11. She looked at apartment 11. There was a man sitting outside of the door. He was smoking and it looked like he was waiting for something or someone. She turned off her car to avoid any suspicion. She looked in her rearview mirror and saw a person walking towards the building. Natalie recognized the tiny figure as Haley and hunched down, hiding herself from Haley's view.

Haley walked right by Natalie's car, not even recognizing it. She ascended the steps and noticed Rob sitting there.

"Hey you."

"What are you doing here?"

"Last chance Haley."

"I told you Rob. I'm staying here okay? I love my family."

"Yeah. But do they love you?"

Haley glared at Rob. He was pushing it.

"What?"

"Haley. You say you and Nathan are fine, yet you're still living here? You've cried about Natalie and how she hates you. And now, Jamie has asked you to leave."

Haley contemplated Rob's words. He was right. Haley looked at him and turned her back to him. She reached for her keys in her front pocket and unlocked her door. Rob followed her into the apartment. Natalie could see Rob go into the apartment. Her stomach went into knots and anger grew in her. She was about to get out of her car when she noticed a familiar Range Rover drive past her. She recognized the license plate; "Rvns 23." She stayed put and watched the scene unravel before her.

Nathan parked his car right outside the building and turned it off. He exited the car and ran to Haley's door. He knocked and nothing happened. He knocked harder.

"HALEY!"

Nothing happened. He instantly became worried. He knocked again and pressed his ear to the door. Glass breaking was what he heard. He knocked again and nothing. He pressed his ear to the door. He could hear muffling.

"HELP!"

Haley needed his help. He slid his hand under the mat where she told him her spare key would be if ever there was an emergency. There was nothing there.

He moved back as far as he could.

He took a deep breath.

He ran towards the door and used his arm and shoulder to break in.

232323

Natalie looked at the scene before her. Her father had just broken into the apartment. He heart began to race and she became scared. She cracked her knuckles and bit her bottom lip. A trait she had inherited from Haley. She decided to get out of the car, it was too warm in her car and she needed air. She was nervous. All she did was lean against her car and kept an eye on apartment 11. The door was still open from when her father had busted it open. She waited for something, anything to happen. She kept her eyes on the apartment and everything else around her faded out.

A chair was thrown out the window.

Natalie's eyes grew wide.

She bolted in the direction of the scene.

She climbed the stairs to get to the apartment at super speed.

A speed that even was too much for her.

She got to the door.

"Dad?"

The scene that lay before her would scar her for life.

She felt like vomiting.

This was sure to scar her in more ways than one.

232323

**A/N: **Alriight…there you go! An update. Hope you guys like it. I broke the sentences up to add to the tension and thrill. I juts wanted to thank all of you who review, its your reviews that have me update quicker and I hope that you enjoyed this chapter. The next two or three chapters, a lot of unanswered question will be answered, so ask any questions that you want cuz now's the time to do so. A warning to all: **The next two or three chapters will be extremely emotional! **Thanks guys! PLEEEEASE if you read, review!

Love Allie!


	12. She Was Ready

**A/N: **Alright. So a few of you hate me for leaving you with a cliffhanger cough23naley03cough…lol…but as I promised, questions WILL be answered. And that Psycho Biotch Nanny has my fist coming her way and a few other angry Naley fans…okay I'll stop rambling on with it…I know what you want! P.S This chapter is REALLY long…so if you have a short attention span, beware…

232323

She woke up.

All of the pain was gone.

She lifted her head.

She looked around her.

Nothing.

Nothing.

Just…blood!

She stood up and noticed she was alone in an apartment. She looked at the floor and saw the small puddle of blood to her left. But, there was no one with her. She was so confused. She breathed deeply. No pain was in her chest. She turned to look at the back wall behind her. The London Bridge that was once there was now replaced by a human shaped hole. She didn't remember much. The last the she remembered was a flying chair.

"It's time to go Natalie."

She turned around and came face to face with a pair of familiar eyes and signature smirk. She knew this person, but was confused. She felt alone. He walked towards her and placed a hand on her shoulder. She instantly became calm. She took a deep breath and turned her head to face him. He spoke.

"I thought I said that I didn't want you here."

"I can't help it. It's not my fault I ended up here."

"That may be so. But, you could have avoided trouble. You're not supposed to be here."

"I know."

"Do you remember anything?"

Natalie shook her head.

"No."

Natalie hung her head. She tried to think. Everything was blank. Black. Nothing.

She heard something.

A moan.

She became scared.

She turned around hastily.

What was that noise?

She looked in the direction of the room at the end of the hall.

She was scared, but followed the sound.

"It's okay. Don't be afraid."

Natalie walked slowly towards the door. She was on her guard. The moan grew. She squinted, like she was trying to see through the door. She looked behind her at the familiar eyes. They wouldn't leave her. She reached for the doorknob. She turned it and took a peak. There she was. She was on the bed, almost lifeless. She wasn't alone. Her father surrounded them. There was another body in the room. It was behind the door. The body was of a male. The body was limp and blood was all over his face. She knew the body. But, couldn't remember.

Someone was crying.

It was loud.

She looked over her shoulder and saw her father crying.

She gulped.

She looked at what he cried at.

It was her.

And her mother.

They were lifeless.

She felt the place over her heart become wet. She touched it and water was there. She looked at her father. His tears had fallen on her.

"Natalie?"

Natalie turned around to see the familiar eyes staring at her and another set of eyes. Brown, like hers. She came face to face with Haley. She breathed deeply and licked her lips. She bit her bottom lip and swallowed the lump in her throat.

"Hi."

"What are you doing here? You shouldn't be here."

"Neither should you."

Haley was about to protest when she saw the scene before her. Nathan was crying over two bodies. A few police officers had arrived and tried to pry him off of Natalie and Haley's bodies, but he refused to let go. The familiar one with Natalie and Haley on the other side walked to Nathan and put a soothing hand on his shoulder.

"It's okay Nathan. Get up. They have to be saved."

Nathan got off of the bodies and let the paramedics take care of them. Haley and Natalie watched Nathan walk past them and looked at him. He sat on the couch near the door and put his head in his hands and sobbed. They two of them looked at their lifeless bodies before them and could hear the paramedics and police speak amongst themselves.

"She went into full cardiac arrest."

"She has a concussion."

"Pulses are active, but faint."

"Requesting back-up."

"Let's go!"

"Get them out of here."

"What about this one?"

Haley and Natalie looked at the direction that had been pointed out.

Rob was laying there, blood still on him.

"Jesus." The paramedic bent down.

"Got a pulse. Stronger than those two."

Haley and Natalie looked at the familiar face. He stood and watched them, their every move. Haley was over whelmed. Natalie was confused. Haley turned and spoke to the familiar one.

"So what are you? A ghost?"

Natalie and the face answered.

"A guide." They looked at Haley.

"How would you know Nat?"

"This isn't my first time here…"

"What?"

"I was here after I had the first heart attack. He brought me home."

Haley looked at the familiar face. She was desperate. Natalie could see the desperation in Haley's eyes. She was just as lost as Haley was. She had to know what all of this was.

"Keith, what the hell happened?"

232323

Nathan ran through the doors of the hospital, following Haley and Natalie's gurneys. His eyes were red, blood-shot and his face was damp. The gurneys went in separate directions. He slumped to the floor and continued to wallow in his tears. It had been a while, almost 2 hours and the tears were still coming. Lucas, Brooke, Peyton, Jake, Jenny, Lily and Mouth had shown up about an hour and half prior. A doctor had spoken to him once in the entire time that he was there.

"Nathan."

He looked up and came to face his half-brother. Lucas kneeled at eye-level with Nathan. Nathan looked at Lucas and had a look of anger and sniffed to keep his tears from falling. He looked up.

"You know the asshole is fine? All he got away with was a few bruises and a broken rib. That's it. And now…Natalie and Haley are fighting for their lives…AGAIN!"

"Nate. You have to calm down."

"Don't ask me to do that. Did you get a hold of Jamie?"

"Yeah. He's on his way."

"Mr. Scott…"

232323

"Keith, what the hell happened?"

Keith looked at the two ladies before him.

"You two don't remember?"

They shook their heads.

"Watch."

A fog had taken over the apartment. The three of them now faced a scene.

_**It's been a long year    
Since we last spoke    
How's your halo?  
Just between you and I    
You and me and the satellites    
I never believed you    
I only wanted to    
Before all of this    
What did I miss?    
Do you ever get homesick?    
I can't get used to it    
I can't get used to it    
I'll never get used to it    
I'll never get used to it**_

_Haley sat on her couch, crying and Rob had his hand on her back, trying to comfort her. She only cried harder._

"_It's okay Haley. You don't deserve __**any**__ of this. You were just chasing your dream. They have no right to be angry with you."_

"_Why would you say that?"_

"_It's not your fault. Whatever happened that night that they came to see you, it's not your fault."_

"_How did you know that they came to see me?"_

"_I have ears Hales."_

"_Don't call me that."_

"_Why? Only Nathan calls you that?"_

"_Yes."_

"_Come with me Haley. Come back."_

"_I told you. I'm staying here. Give me a reason why I should come with you?"_

_Haley couldn't do anything. Rob has captured his lips with hers. He was forceful and Haley tried to push him away, but his strength over-powered hers. She was pushing him away with __**every **__ounce of strength that she could muster. It became too much to handle and so she grabbed the glass of water that she had still lying on her side-table and knocked it on Rob's head. It shattered to pieces. She got out of his grasp and ran to her room. Rob followed her, but he was too quick and he pulled her back. He grabbed her and slammed her hard into the wall where the London Bridge mural was. There was a banging on the door._

"_HALEY!?"_

_Haley went to get it, but Rob was too quick for her. He put his hand on her mouth. He began to drag her to her bedroom. The banging continued._

"_HALEY!"_

_The knocking calmed. Haley bit Rob's fingers. "HELP!"_

"_Not good Haley."_

_Rob dragged her into the bedroom and threw her on the bed. He moved on top of her and began to kiss her furiously. She tried to push him off, but it was hopeless, he was too strong._

"_This is how it's supposed to be Haley." He ripped her shirt off of her to expose her bra. She screamed and tried to get him off of her. He hit her temple causing her to pass out. _

_BOOM!_

_A door busted open in the next room and footsteps could be heard frantically running towards the room._

_**I'm under that night    
I'm under those same stars    
We're in a red car    
You asleep at my side    
Going in and out of the headlights    
Could I have saved you?    
Would that have betrayed you?    
I wanna burn this film    
You alone with those pills    
What you couldn't do I will    
I forgive you    
I'll forgive you    
I'll forgive you    
I forgive you**_

"_HALEY?"_

_Nathan opened the door and looked at the scene before him. Anger took over him and he rushed to Haley's rescue._

"_GET OFF OF HER ASSHOLE!"_

_Nathan pulled Rob off of Haley. Nathan noticed a small red stain on the bed sheets. Haley was bleeding. He looked at Rob who was advancing towards him. Nathan looked at Rob._

"_You son of a bitch!" Nathan punched Rob in the face and waited for him to get up. Rob did so and moved out of the room. Nathan followed him to the kitchen. He gulped at the site. Rob rummaged threw the drawers and pulled out a knife._

"_Get away from me Scott."_

"_You sick, twisted, messed up, desperate, rat bastard. You've screwed up my family, beginning with my son and ending with Haley. No more. I don't care if I die right now, you are __**not**__ getting away with this."_

"_Bye Scott."_

_Rob moved towards Nathan and went for the kill._

Haley and Natalie were watching the scene unfold. The both of them watched intently. Haley felt something grab a hold of her hand. She looked down and noticed Natalie's hand in hers. She smirked and squeezed her daughter's hand.

_As Rob went for the kill, Nathan grabbed the hand with the knife in it and sent the knife flying to the right of Nathan. Rob pushed Nathan towards the direction of the window. Nathan hit his head against the cold glass and his eyes were shut for a brief moment. Anyone could see that Rob wanted Nathan gone. Rob ran towards the table and grabbed a chair and threw it in Nathan's direction. _

_The chair flew fast._

_Nathan had seen it._

_He ducked._

_It flew out of the window, causing the glass to shatter to pieces. Nathan looked up and saw Rob heading back to the bedroom. Nathan quickly got up on his feet and ran for the room. He pounced on Rob sending the both of them to the floor. _

"_Dad?"_

_The scene that lay before her would scar her for life._

_She felt like vomiting._

_This was sure to scar her in more ways than one. She could see into the bedroom at the end of the small hallway. She ran into the apartment, forgetting her fear and nausea. She sped walked to the door. She could see Nathan and Rob fighting each other. Rob was on top of Nathan, giving him punches to the face. Nathan blocked most of them. His nose was bleeding and heard Natalie's voice. She entered the room and looked around. Haley was sprawled on the bed exposed. Rob was still pounding Nathan. Natalie whipped out her phone and dialed 9-1-1. _

_**For blue, blue skies   
For blue, blue skies   
For blue, blue skies  
For blue, blue skies  
For blue, blue skies   
For blue, blue skies   
For blue, blue skies   
For blue, blue skies   
For blue, blue skies   
For blue, blue skies   
For blue, blue skies   
For blue, blue skies   
For blue, blue skies   
For blue, blue skies    
I'll forgive you  
For blue, blue skies   
I'll forgive you  
For blue, blue skies   
I'll forgive you  
For blue, blue skies  
I'll forgive you    
For blue, blue skies   
For blue, blue skies  
I'll forgive you    
For blue, blue skies   
I'll forgive you  
For blue, blue skies   
I'll forgive you  
For blue, blue skies   
I'll forgive you  
For blue, blue skies   
I'll forgive you  
For blue, blue skies  
I'll forgive you    
For blue, blue skies   
I'll forgive you  
For blue, blue skies   
I'll forgive you  
For blue, blue skies   
I'll forgive you  
For blue, blue skies   
I'll forgive you  
For blue, blue skies   
I'll forgive you  
For blue, blue skies   
I forgive you**_

"_Natalie!"_

_Natalie looked at her father and he had Rob under him, trying to get Nathan off of him._

"_Protect Haley…GO!"_

_Natalie ran to the bed and saw Haley sprawled and exposed. She removed her jacket and sweatshirt and placed them on Haley to cover her up. She tried to move her from the bed, but a yell startled her. Nathan had been coiled in the phone cord and Rob was strangling him. Natalie moved off of the bed and grabbed Rob from behind choking him with her arm. She grabbed him so that her elbow pointed ahead of them. Rob went to grab her, but she moved so rapidly that it was hard to keep up. Nathan lunged at Rob and Natalie moved out of the way, seeing Nathan coming for them. She went back to Haley's aid, but something stopped her. A massive pain came rushing up and down her left arm. Her chest tightened and her vision became blurry. She tried to breathe, but it was useless, then she saw black._

_Nathan punched Rob square in the jaw sending him to the floor and on the way down, Rob hit the back of his head on the corner of the door, sending him into a coma. Nathan still had anger in him. He walked over to him and kicked him on the left side of his body smack on the ribs. Nathan heard the sirens outside of the apartment and looked behind him. There, on the bed was Natalie on top of Haley, both lifeless._

"_NO!"_

The fog came and went. The three of them, Natalie, Haley and Keith were standing in the middle of the living room of the apartment. He looked at Haley and Natalie's hands, still bound. Haley looked at Natalie.

"You had a heart attack."

Natalie nodded. She remembered.

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Anyone could see the 7 people in the waiting area. All of them had looks of worry on their faces. Most of them cried and two of them were missing. Nathan still sat on the floor crying. One fighting for their life was difficult enough, but now there were two people who meant **everything** to him, fighting for their lives. He didn't know whether or not either of them would make it. Lucas had left him.

"Mr. Scott?"

Nathan's eyes shot upward, hoping it was a doctor. But, his wish wasn't granted. He came face-to-face with two teenagers. He recognized them as Daniel and Molly. Both of them had tears streaming down their faces.

"Is she okay? Please tell me she's okay."

"I don't know Molly."

Daniel wrapped his arms around Molly and she cried on his shoulder. He had tears too, but they did not fall.

"Is Jamie here yet?"

"No."

Daniel led Molly to a chair and she continued to cry. He only whispered in her ear.

"She's gonna be fine."

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Natalie sat on the balcony overlooking the building parking lot. Her car was no longer on the road. Someone had come to pick it up. Keith stood on the left side of her and Haley leaned against the porch railing, her elbows resting on the banister. They were waiting for Keith to say something, anything. They both looked at him and his face was expressionless. Natalie sighed and continued to swing her legs and Haley looked at Natalie.

"You didn't have to do that."

"Do what?"

"Cover me up. It's not like I knew what was going on."

"I wanted to help out. It's the least I could do."

Keith stepped in. "Okay you two. Let's go."

"Go?"

"Yes."

The three of them walked towards the parking lot and Natalie and Haley followed Keith. He stopped. They stopped. He turned to face them.

"What are you two doing here?"

"Uh…you told us to follow you Uncle Keith."

"No, Natalie. I mean why are you guys here with me? Instead of at home where you belong?"

"I dunno."

"There **has** to be a reason you two. You were brought here for a reason, you're unhappy about something, wondering about something. Otherwise I wouldn't be here. So tell me what's going on."

Haley and Natalie looked at each other. They didn't know what to say. Why were they brought there?

"Okay. Haley? Come with me. Natalie? Stay put."

Haley walked up to Keith and walked with him. He put a comforting arm around her. He looked at Haley and smiled. She was a mother of two. Keith looked behind him and saw Natalie standing there, in the exact same spot that he told her to stay in.

"So Haley, why are you here?"

"I dunno Keith."

"C'mon. There has to be something. A question that you have that's gone unanswered or perhaps you're wondering about something. Anything Haley, there's a reason why you're here with me and not there with Nathan and Jamie."

"There might be a few things…"

"…Okay. What are they?"

Haley looked at the ground.

"C'mon Haley. No questions, no answers."

"Okay…sometimes I wonder if maybe I should never have left."

"Yeah…"

"And, other times, I wonder if maybe, I should have never come home."

"Okay…" Keith looked at Natalie. He turned his attention back to Haley.

"Because of Natalie's welcome home?"

"…Maybe. I dunno."

"It's okay to feel lost Haley. But, here's some words of comfort. You see that girl there?"

Haley looked in the direction that Keith pointed. He was pointing at Natalie. Haley nodded.

"Sh**e's more like you than you know**. And believe me, she doesn't want you gone. She's just overwhelmed by all of this. He life hasn't exactly been easy and it hasn't exactly gone her way either. So be patient and believe me, it's a good thing that you came home…and left."

Haley looked at Keith in confusion.

"Stay right here." Haley nodded and Keith walked towards Natalie.

"Luckily I told you not to come back."

"I'm sorry okay?"

"So what's up?"

"I've been thinking about what you asked Haley and I before we left the porch?"

"Yes."

"The reason I'm here is 'cause I don't wanna go back…"

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"Mr. Scott?"

Nathan stood onto his feet and faced the doctor before him. She didn't have any hints of relief or worst-case scenario on her face. She looked at him and he walked up to her, slowly, fearing the worst. He itched the back of hi head and the tears were still flowing.

"Your wife…she's stable. She had a slight concussion and some internal bleeding from the impact of the wall that you informed me of. Her lower back is bruised, but the surgery went well. She's still unconscious."

"Will she be okay?"

"That's up to her."

"And my daughter?"

"I believe she's still on the table."

"Could someone let me know of her progress please?"

"I'll ask the doctor who's operating on her."

"Thank you."

The doctor began to walk away, but Nathan called her back.

"Doctor?" She looked at him.

"Is it possible to see Haley?"

"Sure. Follow me."

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"I'm here 'cause I don't wanna go back."

"What?"

"I'm tired of living Uncle Keith. It's too much."

"Natalie. Listen to me. You may not know it, but there are people who are crying and praying for your return to them. There are people who are willing to rewind time and prevent any of this from happening. There are people who love you and there are people who lose others everyday and wish to be with them again…"

"…and those people get over it. Keith, what's the point?"

Keith looked at Natalie and then at Haley who still stood where he left her.

"That woman standing over there is the point." Natalie looked at Haley. "She came back didn't she? Weren't you the one who cried to sleep almost every night wishing, hoping, praying that she'd come back?"

"Yeah…and I stopped wishing, hoping and praying a long time ago. It's time for me Keith."

"No it's not. Natalie, there's still a lot for you."

"I don't want it."

"Do you have any idea who this will affect if you go through with it?"

Then Natalie disappeared.

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"We're losing her."

Doctors were running frantically all over an operating room.

"She's crashing." Her heart rate was dropping rapidly.

And in the blink of an eye, the heart monitor made a loud, long noise. Natalie was flat-lined.

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"KEITH! Where did she go?"

Haley ran up to Keith. He turned around to look at Haley who had a look of worry on her face. He swallowed and stood still.

"Haley calm down."

"Where did she go?!"

"She's gone Haley."

"WHAT? NO!"

Keith hugged Haley who was crying. He let her cry on his shoulder and he comforted her. Her sobs were loud now.

"WHY?"

Keith remained silent. He shook his head and looked up. He then closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"I dunno."

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Everything was black once again. She wasn't afraid. But, she felt like there were pulls from every direction that she looked at. It was if a million voices were telling her to come to where they were. Anyone would be scared of darkness and the only thing that could be detected with the 5 senses was hearing. It didn't smell. She couldn't taste anything. She couldn't see anything. She couldn't touch anything. She could only hear the millions of voices. They were all calling for her. She wanted to go with them, but something kept her where she was. She didn't know what to do. Follow the millions of voices that she could hear or obey the small voice in her head that told her to go back. Back to where Keith and Haley were. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, not that it made much of a difference. But, when she opened her eyes, she was now only able to see. There were no more voices. She was between two places. She looked ahead of her and saw a small light. _A light at the end of the tunnel._ She got closer to the light and her pain was gone. But, something stopped her. A little voice. Like that of a child's. It whispered to her.

"Go back."

She looked behind her and could see her family smiling back at her. She melted inside. _Are you ready to leave them behind? Never see them again? _Their faces flashed before her.

Daniel flashed.

Molly flashed.

Jake flashed.

Jenny flashed.

Lily flashed.

Mouth flashed.

Little Haley flashed.

Brooke flashed.

Peyton flashed.

Lucas flashed.

Jamie flashed.

Nathan flashed.

Haley flashed.

She blinked and shook her head. Then, she heard all these separate voices.

"Come back."

"Don't go."

"We need you."

"We love you."

"Please come home."

"Come back to us."

She covered her ears. It was tempting. She released her ears and listened. There was silence.

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The doctor turned the little doorknob, but stopped and turned to Nathan.

"I warn you. You may be a little shocked. She's hooked up to a lot of things…"

"…I don't care."

"Don't say I didn't warn you."

Nathan nodded and was let into the room. He looked at his wife and rushed to her side. His tears were flowing freely now. The doctor could hear Nathan sniffing and looked at Nathan. He was holding Haley's hand in two of his. His lay his head on the bed and continued to cry for her. The doctor was about to leave.

"Um…doctor?" She looked at him.

"Yes Mr. Scott?"

"Is it possible for them to have Natalie in here? When they're done?"

"If all is well, I'll do my best to have them together Mr. Scott."

"Thank you."

The doctor closed the door and Nathan turned his attention back to Haley. His tears had clamed down and his vision became clearer. He took a good look at Haley. She didn't look as bad as she had looked 21 years ago when Daunte had run her over with his car. However, Nathan was crying harder this time around. The idiot had tried to rape her and he wasn't there from the start to prevent it. When she left the house, he was going to follow her and get her to come back to the house. But, he didn't. He was putting all of the blame on him and he bet himself up. He sighed and grabbed Haley's hands tighter. He decided to speak to her.

"I'm so sorry Hales. I'm sorry that I couldn't save you. I wasn't there. I could've saved you. I'm an idiot for letting you leave tonight. You have to come back, even if you don't want to. You have to come back because I need you here with me. You can't leave me a third time. That's not fair. I love you. I ache when you're not around. I know that we haven't been **us** for a while, but you came home and I'm thankful for that. You have no idea how much I really need you. 17 years ago, I was terrified that I had almost lost you and all because of a stupid misunderstanding and a woman who wanted more than what she had. But, I don't regret all of that because if it weren't for that misunderstanding, we wouldn't have Natalie. She's still in surgery. She better come out of it too. So should you. I will forever be in your debt for being with me. You changed me Haley and for that I owe you everything. I would do anything for you, but I need one more favour. I need you to come back to me okay? You have be here with me. I wish I could tell you or show you how much I love you and how much I want you here right now. Please come back to me Hales. I'm yours. Always and forever. And you better not forget it. I need you so much and I love you as much as I need you. Looking back on everything, I don't think that I could ever picture my life without you again. Please. Please. Please come back to me."

Nathan looked at Haley. He stood up and leaned over her body. He caressed her face. He wiped the hair from her face and caressed her forehead. He placed a soft, lingering kiss on her forehead and cried. He then moved his kiss down to her cheek and finally lay one upon her lips. He wanted her to be there with him. She didn't respond. She was still unconscious. It wasn't the same. She didn't do anything. She just lay there and he just cried.

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Haley was still in Keith's embrace. _Why had she disappeared? Where did she go?_ Keith pulled Haley away from him and looked at her.

"You've grown a lot Haley. You've become a woman and more importantly a mother. You're very lucky. And your family loves you. Which is why I'm going to help you get back."

"Th-"

_**I'm so sorry Hales. I'm sorry that I couldn't save you. I wasn't there. I could've saved you. I'm an idiot for letting you leave tonight. You have to come back, even if you don't want to. You have to come back because I need you here with me. You can't leave me a third time. That's not fair. I love you. I ache when you're not around.**_

"Nathan?" _Where was he?_ Keith looked at Haley and smirked.

_**I know that we haven't been **_**us**_** for a while, but you came home and I'm thankful for that. You have no idea how much I really need you. 17 years ago, I was terrified that I had almost lost you and all because of a stupid misunderstanding and a woman who wanted more than what she had. But, I don't regret all of that because if it weren't for that misunderstanding, we wouldn't have Natalie. She's still in surgery. She better come out of it too.**_

Natalie was in surgery. Where had she disappeared to? Haley wanted to find Nathan. She could only hear his beautiful voice. She wanted to see him. She needed to see him. She wanted to touch him. She needed to touch him. Where was he?

_**So should you. I will forever be in your debt for being with me. You changed me Haley and for that I owe you everything. I would do anything for you, but I need one more favour. I need you to come back to me okay? You have be here with me. I wish I could tell you or show you how much I love you and how much I want you here right now. Please come back to me Hales. I'm yours. Always and forever.**_

"Always and Forever." Haley repeated his words.

"Always and forever Nathan. I love you. Keith?"

She turned to face Keith, but her brought his index finger to his lips to silence her.

_**And you better not forget it. I need you so much and I love you as much as I need you. Looking back on everything, I don't think that I could ever picture my life without you again. Please. Please. Please come back to me.**_

"Keith! I have to go back. I need him."

Keith looked at her. She silenced her again. Then, Haley felt something.

A tingly feeling.

She had butterflies.

The tingle was on her forehead.

It lingered. She sighed. It was him.

The tingle moved to her cheek.

She closed her eyes.

It then landed on her lips.

She inhaled. She knew what was happening.

Nathan was kissing her.

He was kissing her and she couldn't kiss back.

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She was still in darkness. She had just seen her family and they were begging her to come back. Did she want to go back? She was caught between the two places. She looked at the light. It was peaceful and it made her feel happy. Then she looked to the other side. Her family was there, waiting.

They were waiting for her.

Could she go back?

Did she want to go back?

_**There's no one in town I know.    
You gave us some place to go.    
I never said thank you for that.    
I thought I might get one more chance.    
What would you think of me now...    
So lucky, So strong, So proud?    
I never said thank you for that,    
Now I'll never have a chance.**_

_**May angels lead you in.    
Hear you me my friends.    
On sleepless roads,    
The sleepless go.    
May angels lead you in.**_

Time was running out.

She had to decide.

Was she ready to leave them?

She heard something in the distance.

It was a beeping noise. A long one.

A heart monitor.

_**So what would you think of me now...    
So lucky, So strong, So proud?    
I never said thank you for that.    
Now I'll never have a chance.**_

She heard the cries of people asking God why He took her away.

She was running out of time.

Would she be missed?

Definitely.

What should she do?

_**May angels lead you in.  
Hear you me my friends.    
On sleepless roads,    
The sleepless go.    
May angels lead you in.    
May angels lead you in.    
May angels lead you in.**_

"Don't go."

"Come back."

"Don't leave us."

"We love you."

_**And if you were with me tonight.    
I'd sing to you just one more time.    
A song for a heart so big,    
God wouldn't let it live.  **_

The voices were back.

She had to make a decision.

Was she ready?

She was ready…

_**May angels lead you in.    
Hear you me my friends.    
On sleepless roads,    
The sleepless go.    
May angels lead you in.    
May angels lead you in.    
Hear you me my friends.    
On sleepless roads,    
The sleepless go.    
May angels lead you in.    
May angels lead you in.**_

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**A/N: **Okay….I told you looooooong chapter and I'm sorry for that! Unless you like them long. ANYWAYS…a BIG thank you to 23naley03…as usual…she helped me out pick that final song and she was a big help and she's always encouraging me to write so it was updated that quickly because of her so thank her. So this chapter is part one of two or three, I haven't decided yet. So PLEEEEASE keep redaing and please review if you're reading this. Thanks to all of you who read every chapter. An update should be up by this weekend. Please review. Thank you! Love you all lotz!

Love Allie!

P.S: Songs used in this chapter:

**For Blue Skies – Strays Don't Sleep  
Hear You Me – Jimmy Eat World**


	13. Shadow of the Day

**A/N:** Hey guys…thanks so much for the reviews. I got pretty good responses for the last chapter. Depending on how hectic my schedule and schoolwork are will determine whether or not I get another chapter up before I go to California for a week (Friday March 7, 2008 is the day I leave). So…we'll see if not, hopefully this can sustain you until then!

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_The voices were back._

_She had to make a decision._

_Was she ready?_

_She was ready…_

_**May angels lead you in.    
Hear you me my friends.    
On sleepless roads,    
The sleepless go.    
May angels lead you in.    
May angels lead you in.    
Hear you me my friends.    
On sleepless roads,    
The sleepless go.    
May angels lead you in.    
May angels lead you in.**_

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Haley stood with Keith on the same sidewalk that they had been on for what seemed like an eternity. Nathan's soft voice had faded away and so had the tingling feeling on her lips from where he left his kiss. She wanted so much to wake up from this "nightmare" but she couldn't. She had to find Natalie and have her questions answered, as much as it killed her to be away from Nathan. And she hadn't spoken to Jamie since he told her to leave. She missed him too. She remembered her times spent with him as a child. He was the cutest kid and she just loved him so much.

_A 5 year-old Jamie sat at the kitchen table colouring. Nathan was gone for the day. The reason was that Nathan was planning a surprise anniversary dinner for the two of them and wanted it kept covert so that Haley would not find out. Jamie was sent on a mission to keep his mother company and to keep her from suspecting anything. He had done it before, so it shouldn't have been too hard. Jamie listened to his mother singing as she cooked his favourite breakfast, pancakes._

_**But I don't think so  
Maybe I definitely know  
Why do I keep fooling myself  
Why can't I let go  
This is not like me  
But, now I definitely see  
That maybe  
Oh, Oh maybe  
Maybe I'm in love**_

_Jamie looked up from his drawing and gazed at his mother. He looked at his drawing and looked quite satisfied with himself. He smirked and looked at Haley. He left his drawing and walked up to Haley. He looked up at her and tugged on the summer dress that she had on. She looked down at him and smiled._

"_Hungry baby?"_

"_I think so…"_

"_Don't you know?"_

"_Kinda hard to know when you have pretty voice singing to you Mama."_

_Haley had almost broke into tears. She kneeled down to his eye level and grabbed his tiny, fragile, perfect hands. He smiled and kissed her forehead, _

"_Love you mama."_

"_Love you too."_

_This time she kissed his forehead. Jamie smelled something foul and realized something._

"_Mama?"_

"_Yeah?"_

_He pointed his thumb in the direction of the pan on the stove where the pancakes were cooking. Haley could now smell the scent of charcoal and shrieked and went to discard them. Jamie giggled. He watched as his mother scurried towards the garbage can to toss the inedible pancakes. She turned down the temperature of the stove and continued to make Jamie's breakfast. He was still in a fit of giggles and she looked at him and squinted._

"_What are you laughing at?"_

"_You looked funny." He shrugged his shoulders and Haley shook her head and laughed. She looked at the pancakes and noticed that they were done. She turned off the stove and walked over to the table where Jamie quickly put away his drawing that he had done earlier. Haley placed the stack of delectable pancakes in the center of the table and put two in his plate. His eyes expanded to twice their normal diameter and he unknowingly licked his lips. Haley laughed and watched as he ate._

"_What did you draw this morning hun?"_

"_Nothing important."_

"_Oh, c'mon Jamie. You __**always**__ show me what you draw. Now c'mon, show me."_

"_You sure that you wanna see it?" He stuffed a piece of pancake into his tiny mouth._

"_Yes."_

_With his hands sticky from the syrup, he grabbed his drawing from the chair to the left of him and handed it to Haley. He sat in silence, scared waiting for her reaction. Haley gazed at the piece of art that she held before her. It was of a girl, dressed in a red dress that just passed her knees. She had long blonde hair that just passed her shoulders and she was rocking a house full of people. The stage was black and to the left of the girl in the picture stood a boy with black hair, he stood barely visible. There was a band playing behind her and she stood on an elevated black piece that Haley could only assume was the girl's stage. The title of the picture was written clearly in black crayon. __**Boy Loves Rock Star.**__ At the bottom, Jamie signed his name and under it was __**Mommy, the rock star.**__ Haley looked at Jamie and smiled. She stroked his delicate face and kissed his cheek._

"_Can I keep this?"_

"_Sure…does that mean you like it?"_

"_I love it."_

_Jamie sighed in relief and smirked. _

"_How did you know about this?"_

"_Daddy told me about it."_

"_When?"_

"_Last night…I woke up and he saw me. I couldn't sleep and he told me not to wake you because you were tired. She he told me a story about when you were a rock star. I think it's cool mama. You should always sing. You're very good. I love when you sing."_

Haley was brought out of her train of thought. Another voice came to her.

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Molly sat and sobbed into Daniel's shirt. _I should have just told Natalie everything about what happened that night with Jamie and that idiot, Rob. What the hell happened to him in all of this? Nothing. He was fine. The idiot that put my idol and best friend into frigging comas and gave them something to fight for, their lives. This is so unfair. If anything, Rob should be fighting for his life. Hell, no! He's got a frigging bruise on his head. Bastard. I'd like to make him bleed. Where was Jamie? _As if on cue, a small, scared voice of a male figure spoke.

"Molly?"

Molly's head shot up from Daniel's chest and she looked up at the one she was thinking of.

"Jamie."

"How are they?"

"Your mom is stable, but they haven't said anything about Natalie. Apparently there's quite a bit of damage."

Jamie almost broke down into tears. He wiped is eyes to prevent the water from escaping. He swallowed the lump in his throat.

"Jamie?"

Jamie turned and came face-to-face with his uncle, Lucas. Lucas had a blank expression on his face and saw Jamie's tear-stained face. Lucas pulled Jamie into a hug. _Do I deserve to be here? This __**was**__ my entire fault. All of it. I told her to leave and didn't tell anyone about Rob. Where was he? Was he hurt at all? Why didn't I just open my mouth? What will happen when everyone finds out that this was all my fault? _Jamie broke away from Lucas' embrace.

"Finally made it huh?"

"Yeah…"

"Your mom's still in a coma and Nat-"

"-I know. I was informed."

"Okay…uh…you wanna tell me something?"

Jamie looked at Lucas in confusion. But, then, fear overtook his facial expression.

"What do you mean?"

"You father told me what you told Natalie."

Jamie looked at Lucas with fear. Lucas grabbed Jamie's right shoulder.

"You wanna talk about it?"

_It's now or never._

"Can I see her first?"

Lucas nodded and led Jamie to where Haley was. Lucas looked in the room and saw Nathan still clutching an unconscious Haley's hand. He sighed and turned to look at Jamie.

"This may scare you, but try not to cry too much okay? Your father doesn't need to start crying again. It took a while for him to stop."

Jamie nodded and braced himself for what he was about to witness. Lucas opened the door and waited for Jamie to enter. Jamie stood still in the doorway and he mouth opened a bit in shock. Haley lay in the bed. Cables were latched onto her in many areas of her body. She had a bruise on her cheek and temple and could see the imprint of a hand on her arms. Jamie closed his. _Try to think of a better place. _ He walked past Lucas and placed his hand on his father's shoulder. Nathan looked up at Jamie and sighed in relief. He pulled Jamie into a hug and sighed. Lucas watched the two and walked over to Nathan.

"Little brother. Let's go get some coffee."

"I won't leave her Lucas."

"Jamie will be here. He just wants to talk to her."

Nathan looked at Jamie and then back at Lucas. He nodded. He was still holding onto Haley's hand. "I'll be right back. I love you." He kissed her hand and then stood. He kissed her forehead and let go of her hand. He wiped the sweat from his hand wiped the tears from his eyes. He followed Lucas out of the room. Jamie's eyes followed them until the door shut behind them. He took a deep breath and sat in the chair near the bed that his father had previously vacated. He rested his elbows on the edge of the bed and the tears began to flow. "I'm so sorry."

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"_**I'll be right back. I love you." **_ Haley heard his voice again.

The tingling sensation returned.

It lingered on her hand.

It moved to her forehead.

Then it faded.

Nothing.

That was it.

Haley sighed. She hated this. Then a small noise was all she could hear.

A sigh.

"_**I'm so sorry."**_

"Jamie?"

"_**I didn't mean for any of this to happen. I thought I was doing the right thing. I thought that I could save you and Natalie, but all I did was hurt the two of you even more. I'm sorry for telling you to leave. I don't want you to leave. Please don't listen to what I said before, whe I told you to leave. You have to come out of this. You have to make it through all of this because if you don't I'll never know if you forgive me at all and if I don't know that, then I can't forgive myself for causing all of this. Natalie still hasn't come out of surgery. I dunno what's taking so long. You have to come back. Everyone is a mess. They all need you here. Dad needs you here. I need you here. You were always the one to tell me that it's gonna be okay and right now, I need to hear that from you."**_

Haley sat where she was. She looked above her, where the voice was coming from. She looked behind her at Keith. He stared intently at her and had a sympathetic look on his face. He knew Haley was hating every moment of this.

"_**You were always there for me and I thank you by telling you to leave. I'm an idiot, a classic fool. The sun cannot set on your time now. It's not fair…"**_

And just like that, the voice was gone.

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"The sun cannot set on your time now. It's not fair…"

Jamie was about to say something else, but Nathan and Lucas came into the room interrupting him. He turned his body 180 degrees and looked at his father and uncle. The tears were still in Nathan's eyes and Jamie's vision became blurred when his own tears clouded his eyesight. Jamie stood. Nathan spoke.

"I'm sor-"

"-No. It's okay. I'm finished."

Jamie walked past the two of them and went out of the room. Nathan looked on in confusion and Lucas only had a look of sympathy for his Godson. Lucas looked at Nathan as if to say **don't worry** and patted him on the back. Lucas went after Jamie and Nathan moved back into his spot on the chair beside Haley's bed.

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Haley still sat where she had listened to Jamie's apology. She repeated his words over and over again. _I don't think I'll be able to forgive myself. I could have saved you. _What had he meant? She was confused. She didn't know what was going on and she hated that. Tears were forming in her eyes again. She hated this place. Noting was right. She could only hear Nathan and feel certain things. Natalie was gone for reasons she didn't know. Jamie did something, apparently. Haley hated it here. All she wanted to do was get back, but she couldn't.

"KEITH?!"

Haley got up from her position on the ground and walked towards Keith. He still stood in his position and stood there, feet shoulder width apart and his arms were crossed. He looked at Haley and sighed.

"I have to get back."

"Not yet."

"Why not?"

"You have questions and you won't leave without an answer and you won't leave Natalie. That's why you can't get back. It's your spirit. It refuses to leave this place without Natalie and without having your questions answered. It's not time to go back yet Haley. Trust me, I'll let you know when that time comes. Until then, you have to bear all of the pain that may befall you. Okay?"

Haley shook her head. He was right. Natalie was still nowhere to be seen. Haley could feel her tears coming again. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down, but it was hopeless. She shut her eyes and tried to think of a happy place. This place was far from happy. In her mind, in utopia, she would be with Nathan, loving him and her two kids. And they would be happy. Right now, utopia seemed so far away and she knew that it couldn't be achieved.

"So what now Keith?"

"We wait."

"For what?"

"A decision."

Haley looked at him in confusion.

"A decision?"

"Yes. Someone has little time to make a decision. If that decision is for the better, you may be here for a shorter period of time than planned."

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Jamie sat in a corner. He looked up and saw Daniel getting up out of the chair he and Molly were sitting and he saw Molly walking towards him. He tore is gaze from her. He looked at the floor and she sat beside him. His tears didn't subside.

"Hey."

"Hi."

"How are you feeling?"

"How do you think Molly? Two of the most important people are in this place fighting for their lives and it's all because of me. Because of my fear and my need to protect them. All I've done is hurt them even more."

"This isn't only on you Jamie. It's on me too. I knew and I didn't say anything either. I could have prevented this from happening just like you could have. But….everything is done. We can't change it, as much as we'd like to. Believe me, if I could I would turn back the clock and told Natalie **everything** when she asked me to tell her what was up."

"I know. I would too." Jamie just sniffed and sighed. Molly put an arm around Jamie's shoulder and she leaned their heads together. She let him cry and she fingered small circles on his back to comfort him and calm him down. A throat clearing interrupted them. Jamie broke away from Molly and looked into the eyes of his uncle.

"You think we can talk about that thing you wanted to talk about bud?"

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Nathan sat in the chair. His rear was becoming numb, but she refused to budge from his position. He still hung onto Haley's hand. He didn't know what to do. He couldn't cry anymore. All of his tears were wasted. Between crying for Haley to wake up and between crying for Natalie, not knowing whether or not she would make it out of surgery, he didn't have a single tear in him to shed. His sad expression just turned into a blank one. Only one person could look into him and know what he was thinking or feeling and that person was Haley. It could be the most random situation and she would know what he was thinking. It was like she could read his mind or reach into his soul and know what to expect. He rubbed the fatigue from his eyes and still held onto her hand. He closed his eyes and could see Haley there.

"_You can't catch me."_

"_Wanna bet? C'mere."_

_17 year-old Haley was running around the area of the River Court. She weaved in and out of trees and 17 year-old Nathan was chasing her. It was two days before they were meeting with the priest for their second wedding. They had an entire weekend free, to themselves and they were going to make the most of it. Nathan had no basketball games and Haley had completed her homework. They walked to the River Court, just enjoying the other's company. Haley's giggle entranced Nathan and he only wanted to hold her that much. __**She's good at this.**__ Haley was swiveling her way out every single attempt made by Nathan to get her. He smiled and stuck his tongue to the lower part of his mouth and smirked. He continued to chase her. He didn't want to put his athletic speed to use, but he knew that if he didn't get her soon, he wouldn't get her at all. He decided to lay unfairly. As soon as Haley made it out of the small bundle of trees, he chased her and sprinted after her. She was making her way across the court and made I to the grassy patch on the other side of the concrete. Nathan lunged himself at her and the two of them tumbled to the ground, landing, thankfully, on the grass._

"_OW!."_

_Nathan got a sudden look of worry._

"_What? What's wrong? Are you okay? Did I hurt you? I'm sorry…"_

"…_You are __**gullible**__ my God. __**That's**__ what you get for tackling me to the ground."_

"_That's just mean."_

"_Maybe…but you still love me."_

"_**Very**__ true." Nathan smirked at her. They were still lying on the ground and they were balancing themselves on their elbows. They looked at each other and smirked. Haley blushed. Nathan laughed._

"_What?"_

"_You're blushing."_

"_I am not." Haley touched her cheek._

"_Yeah, you are. It's okay. It reassures me that I can still make you feel that way about me." _

_Nathan smirked and grabbed her hand. He laced their fingers together and brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. He smirked and Haley just looked at him in awe. He went from asshole to sweetheart in a year and she was the cause of all of it, although Nathan would never admit that to her. After Nathan's lips left their mark on the back of her hand. Haley leaned forward and planted a kiss on his lips. It was short and soft. She pulled back. Nathan only pulled her forward again and she tumbled on top of him. He cupped her cheek with his hand as hip lips continued to roam hers. Their kisses were __**never**__ boring and neither could ever get enough of the other. Haley was still on top of Nathan and their hands were still laced together. Their fingers fiddled with each other and both could feel the other smiling into the kiss. From fingers fiddling, the grip on each other's hands tightened. Haley forced their hands above their heads and they continued to explore each other's mouths. Both found themselves running out of oxygen. __**She is your oxygen.**__ Haley broke away from his lips for a brief second. Her eyes remained closed. Nathan attempted to kiss her again, but it only ended up in a small, light peck. She put her forehead to his and kissed the tip of his nose. She went in for another kiss, but he stopped her. He gazed at her and blinked. She wondered what was wrong with him. She stared into his eyes and them she smiled. He smirked._

"_Lemme guess…the sunset?"_

"_What the – how did you know?"_

"_Well…we __**did**__ come here for that…"_

"_Right." _

_Nathan looked to his right and Haley to her left. She lay on top of him and he caressed her hair. The two of them watched the sunset together._

Nathan was brought out of his daydream when it was interrupted by someone clearing their throat. Nathan turned and came face-to-face with the doctor.

"Mr. Scott?"

"Yes?"

"I'm Dr. Viola. I'm Natalie's doctor."

Nathan stood in silence. He feared the worst. He swallowed the lump in his throat and took a deep breath.

"Your daughter's – " The beeping of a pager interrupted the doctor's speech. She looked at the pager attached to her coat and she looked puzzled. She looked at Nathan and ran out of the room. Nathan looked after her in confusion. He shook his head and became frustrated. _What the hell? _He moved back into the chair by Haley's side.

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_**I close both locks below the window    
I close both blinds and turn away    
Sometimes solutions aren't so simple    
Sometimes good-bye's the only way  
Oh    
And the sun will set for you    
The sun will set for you    
And the shadow of the day    
Will embrace the world in gray    
And the sun will set for you**_

Jamie and Lucas sat in the waiting area. Brooke had gone home to take the burden off of Skills' shoulders. Her and Lucas had left their daughter with him, Fergie and Junk. Peyton sat in Jake's lap, asleep in his arms and he looked quite content. Lily and Jenny had left to run the café and Mouth sat with Daniel, talking about Natalie. Lucas looked at Jamie.

"What happened J?"

Jamie sighed and closed his eyes for a split second. He rubbed his eyes.

"He threatened me. He…he wanted my mom to go back with him."

"Back?"

"To the tour. He told me to convince her to go back. I was a pawn in his plan. He wouldn't go to Natalie because she's a girl or because she already wanted her gone. He wouldn't go to my dad because Rob's a coward…but I'm no better. I ran from the problem. I was hoping that if I left, it would disappear…but it didn't. It followed me wherever I went. My second night in Tree Hill, he grabbed me by the throat and said that if I didn't do what he wanted, then he would put Natalie out of her misery and take Molly's innocence. I guess he went insane when my mother told him that she wouldn't go back. I should have told someone and I know that. I should have told someone what Rob said. This could have all been prevented, but because of my sheepish ways, I put two people in a place where they shouldn't be. I don't deserve forgiveness uncle Luke, and I know that. Which is why I'm not asking for it. All I'm asking is that the two of them make it."

Lucas wrapped an arm around Jamie to comfort him. Jamie let his tears fall.

"It's okay J…it's okay."

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_**And carved in flowers on your window  **__  
__**Your friends all plead for you to stay    
Sometimes beginnings aren't so simple    
Sometimes goodbye's the only way  
Oh    
And the sun will set for you    
The sun will set for you    
And the shadow of the day    
Will embrace the world in gray    
And the sun will set for you**_

Haley stood with Keith. The bright sun that shone in the sky began to descend. Keith suddenly became **very** interested in the setting sun. Haley looked at Keith and noticed the fear in his eyes. He shook his head and his eyes became dark. He looked above him, he whispered.

"Please. Don't do it."

Haley was confused. Her eyebrows came together and looked at Keith.

She looked at Keith.

She looked at the sun above her.

It was setting, slowly.

The orange tinge brought a single tear to Keith's angelic face. Haley looked at him.

"What is it Keith?"

He remained silent.

"Keith?"

The stunned look on his face said little to Haley. He looked stunned, sad, in disbelief and soon, another tear fell.

"What is it Keith?"

Keith turned to Haley and looked down at her.

"The sun is setting."

"Yeah and?"

Keith shook his head.

"It's setting on a life. Someone's time is up." He looked at her as if to say sorry. Haley caught onto Keith's revelation…

"No."

She whispered.

"No!"

Her voice grew.

"NO!"

She screamed and collapsed to her knees, her tears began to flow. Keith looked on in sorrow and grief.

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_**And the shadow of the day    
Will embrace the world in gray    
And the sun will set for you**_

Nathan sat in the chair, still holding onto Haley's hand. He was reminiscing about his recent encounter with Natalie's doctor. She was about to explain something to him about Natalie and then her pager went off and within the blink of an eye, she was gone. Nathan heard the doorknob turn behind him and stood when he saw the doctor before him. She closed the door behind him and he shoved his hands into his pockets.

"Mr. Scott, Natalie passed…"

_**And the shadow of the day    
Will embrace the world in gray    
And the sun will set for you**_

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**A/N: **Okay people…I'm sorry that I have to do this to you. I have to leave this cliffhanger and I know I'm gonna be getting quite a few hate reviews…so I have some news…I won't be updating until the 14th or 15th of March, unless I get over 9 reviews. If you guys leave me them, I'll update before I leave for vacation…I'm goin 2 CALI!! So leave the reviews and the more I get, the quicker I update! Love you all and thanks for reading!

Love Allie

**P.S.:** Songs used in this chapter…

Hear You Me – Jimmy Eat World (Song at beginning of chapter)  
Maybe – Emma Bunton (Song Haley sings to Jamie in first flashback)  
Shadow of the Day – Linkin Park (End song)


	14. A Good Liar

**A/N: **Okay so for the last chapter I got double the amount of reviews that I asked for. And they all made me smile. It's amazing how so many people have faith that Natalie is not dead. And I love the response I'm getting for her character. It seems that a lot of you love her and it makes me feel happy. So thanks to ALL of you. I'd name you all, but that's A LOT of you so…I'll just say thanks. Here is the chapter you've all been waiting for…after this it's only a week before an UD becuz I'm gone as of Friday…WOOOOO! Okay, on with it! OH annnd…this chapter is for 23naley03 as usual for her inspiring words and jokes that make me laugh AND for sweetchristie23 for noticing the Emma Bunton song in the last chapter!

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_**And the shadow of the day    
Will embrace the world in gray    
And the sun will set for you**_

_Nathan sat in the chair, still holding onto Haley's hand. He was reminiscing about his recent encounter with Natalie's doctor. She was about to explain something to him about Natalie and then her pager went off and within the blink of an eye, she was gone. Nathan heard the doorknob turn behind him and stood when he saw the doctor before him. She closed the door behind him and he shoved his hands into his pockets. _

"_Mr. Scott, Natalie passed…"_

_**And the shadow of the day    
Will embrace the world in gray    
And the sun will set for you**_

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"_**Mr. Scott, Natalie passed…" **_Haley heard the doctor confirm her daughter's death. The tears just kept on coming. They didn't stop. _Why? _Keith looked at Haley and then at the sun. He kept a sullen gaze on the sun. It setting was almost complete. A small ray of light shone on Haley and she kept crying. She moved from her position on her knees to a sitting position. She hugged her knees and cried into the crook of her arm. It was almost dark now and Keith couldn't bare it any longer. He went to comfort Haley. He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"It's gonna be alright Haley."

"No it won't. This must be killing Nathan because it's killing me. I can't even imagine how Nathan is feeling. Keith I can't go back without her…I won't."

"Haley…you have to go back. If you don't wake up from this what makes you think that Nathan will be better?"

"He'll blame this on me. He'll say that Natalie is gone because I came back."

"You can't honestly believe that."

"Why not? I came home and Rob followed me."

"Did you ask Rob to come?"

"No. But if I hadn't left the tour…"

"…Then you wouldn't have what you do now. A relationship with your husband, your son and a healing relationship with your daughter."

"It was healing…now there's nothing to mend or heal…it's gone."

Keith just kneeled beside her, his hand still on her shoulder. All that could be heard was the sound of her sobs, which came heavily now. Keith closed his eyes and shook his head. He knew that she wanted to be gone…he knew and he couldn't stop her. There was only one person who could and that was Natalie. She had made her decision for her horizon to go, leave this world and he couldn't stop it. He was about to say something to Haley when he noticed something out of the ordinary.

"Haley?..." He tapped her shoulder and she looked up. She saw what he was looking at. A wave of confusion washed over her. Whatever Keith had seen, it grew…brighter. It was blinding them and the only thing the two of them saw was a tiny gleam of red heading towards them.

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"Mr. Scott, Natalie passed…or at least that's what I had come to tell you earlier. I apologize for running out on you like I did. We lost her in the surgery and I came to tell you, but then my pager went off telling me to head back to the O.R where your daughter was and she had a pulse. So, we went ahead with the surgery and tried to fix as much as we could. This wasn't her first heart attack and she hadn't been on her medication for a while…"

"…yeah. She hadn't taken them for a week, she forgot them in her locker at school…"

"Well. After that long without her meds, her heart weakened…"

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Haley and Keith saw the small whisk of red in front of their faces and then it moved farther and farther away from them. Keith was still in his position. The two of them watched as the red whisk almost disappeared. Haley had her hand glued to her heart and she was breathing heavily. Fear had overtaken her for a brief second. When the whisk was no longer in view of the two of them, Haley looked at Keith.

"What was that?"

"I dunno. I've never seen it before…but it was red."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Everything…"

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"…her heart weakened."

Nathan could feel the tears starting to form in his eyes. _Is my little girl gone from this world or not? _

"…and we did run into a few problems. She lost a lot of blood and we tried to revive her…"

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"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Everything…describe Natalie to me."

"What?"

"Describe her as a person…not her looks, her character…if you were describe **who** Natalie was, what would you say?"

Haley looked at Keith and smirked. A single tear rolled down her cheek.

"Easy…she's…strong-willed, outspoken…I guess Brooke taught her a few things…she doesn't hold back on anything. Her personality can light up a room, but she does have a temper, but it doesn't come out all at once. She's real…she doesn't do things to impress people. She has that _**"ain't nothing gonna break my stride" **_attitude and it's great. She's passionate about everything that she does. If she has her heart set on something, she goes for it and she gives it her all. She brings a focus to life that makes everyday worth living, even if it is with regret. She has this emphasis on survival; she protects life, others before her own…"

Keith looked at Haley and nodded.

"You just described something of importance Haley…"

"What's that?"

"…red."

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"She lost a lot of blood and we tried to revive her multiple times. I have to tell you Mr. Scott; your daughter's a fighter. She'll be fine. She made it through the surgery and I'll see what I can do about having her in here with your wife. She's in a coma and as I said for your wife, it's her decision when she gets out of it."

"Thank you so much."

Dr. Viola had left the room and a smile sprouted on Nathan's face. His little girl was okay.

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"Red?"

"Red…the colour red signifies temper, but that's the bad side. It's good side is passion, focus on the essence of life and a focus on survival…"

Keith looked in the direction of where the whisk of red had once presented itself.

"I don't get it…"

"The colour of that whisk was red…"

Keith looked where the whisk once was and Haley looked where he looked. She could the tiny image of something. It was difficult to make out, but Haley only squinted to try to see what was coming towards them.

_**I need a sign to let me know you're here    
All of these lines are being crossed over the atmosphere    
I need to know that things are gonna look up    
'Cause I feel us drowning in a sea spilled from a cup**_

_**When there is no place safe and no safe place to put my head    
When you feel the world shake from the words that are said**_

_**And I'm calling all angels    
I'm calling all you angels  
I won't give up if you don't give up  
I won't give up if you don't give up**__**   
**__**I won't give up if you don't give up  
I won't give up if you don't give up **_

Haley still could not make out the figure that was coming towards her and Keith. Sure, they were a bit more visible now. They were walking slowly down the street. Haley caught herself looking up at the figure and still in wonder of whom it was. The figure had their hands shoved in their pockets and their head down, looking at the ground.

_**I need a sign to let me know you're here    
Cause my TV set just keeps it all from being clear    
I want a reason for the way things have to be    
I need a hand to help build up some kind of hope inside of me   **_

_**And I'm calling all angels    
And I'm calling all you angels**_

The figure came into perfect view. Their eyes were still glued to the ground. Haley almost stopped breathing. The figure stopped walking and the head of the figure rose and looked up to the heavens and then close their eyes. The sun was shining brighter than ever and the figure looked directly ahead at the people looking at them.

_**When children have to play inside so they don't disappear    
While private eyes solve marriage lies 'cause we don't talk for years    
And football teams are kissing Queens and losing sight of having dreams    
In a world that what we want is only what we want until it's ours**_

The figure smirked a signature and familiar smirk that could fool no one. Haley had caught the smirk and gasped. She began running, but Keith caught her and stopped her.

"Don't Haley. You're caught between two worlds. It could be a work of one of the masters of deception. Let her come here."

Haley stayed put with Keith's hand on her shoulder. She waited.

The other walked and was smiling.

Hands were still in her pockets.

_**And I'm calling all angels    
And I'm calling all you angels**_

The figure of Natalie stopped directly in front of Haley and Keith.

"Hi…"

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Lucas and Jamie still sat on the waiting room. Jamie's tears had subsided a little and the two of them just sat there and waited. Waited for news about Natalie or Haley. Jamie looked over at the others in the waiting room. _Are their fates as dreadful as my sister or mother's? Do they know what I'm feeling? Are they to blame for __**any**__ of their loved one's fate? Like I am? _Jamie continued to look around at the people. He sighed and got up from the spot where he sat. Lucas looked after him and decided to follow him. Lucas stopped when Jamie did. Jamie came face-to-face with Nathan.

Nathan just walked up to his son and pulled him into a meaningful hug. Jamie wrapped his arms around his father, holding onto him, hoping that Nathan had some good news. Lucas just watched the two of them and walked over to hem and put a hand on either of their shoulders. Lucas took a deep breath.

"Anything Nathan?"

Nathan looked at the two of them and smirked.

"Natalie's alive…she made it. Now we just have to wait for the two of them to wake up."

Jamie sighed in relief. He looked up. _Thank you._

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"…Hi."

Haley only looked at the figure of Natalie before her. Keith's hand still lay on Haley's shoulder. Haley was scared to talk to this thing in front of her. If Keith was right, then Natalie really was gone.

Keith stared at Natalie in front of him. _It can't be her. She wanted to go and she did. I can't be fooled._

"_**Hales? If you can hear me…I hope you can."**_

"Nathan?" Haley looked up to where she heard the voice coming from.

"_**The doctor came to me and spoke to me about Natalie. All I have to say is that you better wake up soon. Both of you…"**_

Haley stood frozen in her spot. _Was Natalie okay?_

"_**She made it Hales and as soon as the two of you wake up…I can't wait to see your faces smiling back at me. You have to come out of this. Remember? You promised me that you weren't going anywhere? The two of you promised me that. It's funny, how much you two are so much alike. I'm not that strong without either of you…"**_

Natalie smirked at Haley and Keith.

"I couldn't go through with it. You were right Keith, there's a lot I've yet to do."

Keith smiled and walked over to Natalie and patted her on the back. He bent down so that he could whisper into her ear so that Haley couldn't hear him.

"Maybe here is the place to start kiddo…"

Natalie looked at Keith and nodded. She dragged her eyes to stare at the ground. She walked to Haley and looked up. Natalie's brown eyes connected with Haley's brown ones. They were the only facial feature that Natalie had inherited from Haley. Haley was in tears. Natalie smirked.

"Betcha thought I was gone."

Haley nodded and sighed.

"I'm okay. Don't worry."

Haley nodded again wiped the tears from her eyes. She tried to look at any other place other than Natalie. Natalie stepped to Haley and grabbed onto Haley's shoulders.

"I'm okay…you don't have worry okay?"

Haley nodded and Natalie smirked. Natalie then did something that only surprised Haley. Natalie pulled her into a hug. For the first time in 3 years, Haley was able to hold her daughter in her arms. Haley teared up again and held onto Natalie a little tighter than she should. Natalie only sighed in relief…_that wasn't too hard._ Natalie released Haley and smiled at her. Keith watched the scene unravel and knew…_Natalie's back._

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Nathan sat in between the two beds that were being occupied by two of the most important people in his life. Each hand occupied one of theirs and was praying for either of them to wake up. The door opened and Nathan looked quickly to see who it was.

"Dad?"

"Hey buddy…"

"…he's awake."

"What?"

"Rob…he's awake. The doctors told me…he's just down the hall."

Nathan's stomach turned into a bed of knots. His fists curled further digging his nails into the palm of his hand searing the skin. He tried to breath, but all that occurred was his nerves piling up. _The jerk is awake? He came out of it before Haley and Natalie. This is not fair._ Nathan stood from his spot and went towards Jamie.

"Watch them okay?"

"Sure thing dad."

Nathan exited the room. He stomped down the hallway of the hospital, peering into every room. He came to a room, it was silent and he looked in and sure enough he saw Rob asleep in his bed. Something silver-like caught Nathan's eyes. Rob was handcuffed to the hospital bed. All of the anger that Nathan had for this guy was about to exit. Nathan walked into the room further and got closer to Rob's bedside. With his hand, he slapped the side of Rob's bed. Rob woke up with a jolt.

"You son of a bitch."

"Nathan Scott-"

"Shut up! Listen to me. Haley may not have been able to see the bastard that you were, but I did and now she will too. SHE'S FIGHTING FOR HER LIFE AS IS MY DAUGHTER BECAUSE OF YOU…DID YOU KNOW THAT? OR DID YOU KNOW THAT MY SON WILL FOREVER BE SCARRED BECAUSE OF YOU? Sure, you may be able to live because you woke up, but if I were you, I would've died because the fate that's coming to you is a fate far worse than death. Your freedom is getting stripped from you and you'll never be able to get it back as long as I'm around. Have a nice life in hell…sad excuse for a human being…Oh yeah, and the press is here, waiting for a statement from the star turned criminal…"

Nathan turned his back and exited the room. Rob felt something on his wrist. He saw the handcuffs and tried to shake out of them. It was hopeless. They were tight and impossible to break free from. A cop entered the room after Nathan left to watch over the man who had started this.

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"Okay you two. We have stuff to do if we're gonna get you back."

Haley and Natalie looked at Keith and then when Keith began to walk, they followed. The entire time the three of them spent walking, Haley had her arm wrapped around Natalie and had a smile plastered on her face. Natalie could not stop smirking and had to admit that having to smile with Haley felt good. She felt like a kid one again and she felt happy. Keith came to a halt and the three of them faced a large brick wall.

"Where are we Keith?"

"You don't recognize this place Natalie?"

Natalie stepped back, away from Haley and gazed at the building in front of them. The red brick stood before her, their familiarity haunted her thoughts. _I know this place._ Natalie recognized the place.

"Tric?"

"Yeah. C'mon."

The two of them followed Keith. They went into the building and ended up in the main area of the club. Except, Natalie wasn't with them. Haley panicked and was sent into a frenzy with her eyes, searching for Natalie. Keith noticed Haley and stopped her by grabbing onto her shoulder.

"What are you doing?"

"Where's Natalie?"

"She's here…just relax."

"What is this Keith?"

"You said you wondered whether or not you made the right decision coming home or not. This is showing you what would've happened if you hadn't…"

"And Natalie?"

"She's here, but not the one that you know. She's not here because her…**other** is in the building…there's like a barrier put around this place to keep your Natalie out so that this Natalie doesn't go mad or something…just relax and watch."

"Watch what?"

At that moment, the music cut and Jamie walked onto the stage. He looked the same, but he wore a cocky grin and all that could be heard were the wails and call of girls. He smirked and winked in the direction of the howls.

"Haha…aiight…settle down. Ladies and gentlemen…a year ago a girl about 17 got up on this stage and performed for you. Today, that person performs for the last time on this stage before she sets off to Tennessee to open for the Wreckers on the their final world tour. Ladies and gentlemen please welcome for the final time my baby sister NATALIE SCOTT!"

A loud roar erupted from the crowd. Haley clapped along with them anxious to see Natalie. Then something hit Haley like a ton of bricks. She became confused.

"Keith, I thought Jamie was the musical one."

"Haley you have to understand something…"

Music started up…

"What?"

_**You let me in    
'Cause after all    
It seemed like the right thing to do     
I closed my eyes    
And let you fall    
I wonder what you could possibly know    
About breaking down that I don't     
It's been awhile    
Since I begged for    
Anything but now I want more   **_

_**So lay me down    
I'm lonely    
You don't understand me    
And you'd never even try to    
Anyway**_

"We're in an alternate universe, a place that could've been. Sure, Jamie was musically inclined where you were, but here…he's not. He's only got basketball. Natalie, however, carries something of yours everywhere she goes…and you're witnessing it."

_**I hear you say, "Its not the same.  
I'm sorry, its something I just can't explain"  
So shut your mouth and hold me close  
We both know its better then being alone**_

_**I don't mind  
Killing time  
As long as I can see it in your eyes**_

_**L**__**ay me down  
I'm lonely  
Oh oh  
You don't understand me  
And you never even tried**_

"Natalie can play music?"

"And sing…You didn't know?"

"No…"

Haley looked at the stage for the first time and she saw Natalie. She didn't look like the Natalie that she knew. This Natalie was scrawny. She was still tall, but that was it. Her figure was grotesque. Haley scrunched her eyebrows.

_**I'm sorry  
Lay me down  
I'm lonely  
Lay me down**_

_**You don't understand me  
And you never even tried to anyway**_

The song ended. Haley missed half of the song because she was so focused on Natalie's appearance. She looked so unhealthy.

Natalie finished her song and the crowd was cheering. The response was terrific. She smirked and thanked the people in the crowd. Then, much to her surprise she saw a pair of brown eyes. She felt like vomiting. She turned to the band behind her and whispered something to her drummer. He nodded and sat in his spot. Natalie repositioned herself onto a stool and placed it in front of the microphone stand that was placed at center stage. She looked into the crowd and found the familiar eyes again. Her gaze became cold and bitter. It was full of disdain and hurt. She swallowed and grabbed the microphone.

"Hey everyone. Thanks for coming out tonight. This next song goes out to someone who really hurt me and to say that it hasn't been hard without this person would be a lie because it's been harder than they could ever imagine. So, if they're listening or here for that matter, this one's for them and they know who they are…because they've gave birth to me…"

Haley looked at the floor and Keith placed his hand on Haley's shoulder and she looked up when she heard the soft sound of the piano playing.

"Can she see me Keith?"

"She can now…" Haley looked at Natalie and listened to her voice. It was soft and the lyrics made Haley cry.

_**Sometimes I think about you  
Wonder if you're out there somewhere thinking bout me  
And would you even recognize  
The woman that your little girl has grown up to be  
Cause I look in the mirror and all I see  
Are your brown eyes looking back at me  
They're the only thing you ever gave to me at all**_

_**Oh, I hear the weather's nice in California  
There's sunny skies as far I can see  
If you ever come back home to Carolina  
I wonder what you'd say to me**_

_**I think about how it ain't fair  
That you weren't there to braid my hair  
Like mothers do  
You weren't around to cheer me on  
Help me dress for my high school prom  
Like mothers do  
Did you think I didn't need you here  
To hold my hand  
To dry my tears  
Did you even miss me through the years at all**_

_**Oh, I hear the weather's nice in California  
There's sunny skies as far I can see  
If you ever come back home to Carolina  
I wonder what you'd say to me**_

_**Forgiveness is such a simple word  
But it's so hard to do when you've been hurt**_

_**Oh, I hear the weather's nice in California  
And just in case you're wondering about me  
From now on I won't be in Carolina  
Your little girl is off  
Your little girl is off  
Your little girl is off  
To Tennessee**_

The piano ended the song and Natalie took a bow and left the stage. Haley only stared at the stage with a clouded vision. Keith still had his hand on her shoulder and told her to follow him. She followed him and their surroundings began to fade and before she knew it, she found the two of them in a minivan and Haley recognized the one sitting in front of her. She looked at Keith and mouthed, "_Can they see us?"_ Keith only shook his head. Haley nodded.

"Nice set you played tonight Nibs."

"Thanks Jamie." Natalie put her earphones into her ears. Music blasted into her ears.

"And your last song…NAT!"

"WHAT?"

"Think you could listen?"

"Sorry…I…just had a rough night…"

"What do you mean? You were aweso-"

"-I saw mom."

Jamie froze in shock.

"Wh-"

"I saw her in the crowd. She was buried behind a sea of hands but I know it was her…and I did some…"

"…No…Nat please…no…did…"

"…Yeah."

"Nine months Nat. You threw it away…"

"You don't think I know that? I know I'm an idiot okay? Just say it."

"I'm not. How do you feel?"

"Like shit. I feel like the biggest idiot out there. I had to relapse huh?"

Jamie looked at Natalie and shook his head.

"You're not an idiot. Are you going to do it again?"

"No."

"Good."

All was black.

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Jamie sat in the chair that his father was previously. He stared at Natalie's closed eyes. His tears had run out. He couldn't cry anymore. If he did, he would die of dehydration. He watched Natalie for any sign of movement. He set his chin down on the bed near Natalie's hand. He grabbed it and pulled the chair closer to her.

"I'm so sorry little sister. I was trying to protect you from the idiot. I'm glad that the worst is over. Thanks for pulling through. If you hadn't I'd probably be following you, like you used to follow me as soon as you learned to walk. You have to wake up soon, you and mom both because dad and I can't handle all of this. You had to be a hero huh? You had to go to the rescue? Of course you did…you're a protector, a hero to everyone…even me. I'm glad you made it out of the surgery, but now you gotta wake up…"

Jamie heard a moan from behind him. He froze and turned to look at Haley…

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"_**You had to be a hero huh? You had to go to the rescue? Of course you did…you're a protector, a hero to everyone…even me. I'm glad you made it out of the surgery, but now you gotta wake up…"**_

Natalie sat on the banister outside of the apartment where she had arrived. When she tried to follow Haley and Keith into Tric, she was blasted back to this place. She had been waiting for what seemed like an eternity and in her waiting she heard her brother's voice speak to her, asking, begging her to come back to them. He apologized for screwing up and with his final plea; Haley and Keith had been brought back to her.

"Hey…"

Natalie swung her legs to the other side of the banister and spun and set her feet on stable ground.

"Where've you two been? I go to enter Tric and I get shot back here…"

Haley rushed to Natalie and pulled her into a hug. She tightened her grip and Natalie enveloped herself into the hug.

"Hey…what's up?"

Natalie looked at Keith with a questioning expression and pointed to Haley.

"I'm sorry…for everything."

"It's Okay…"

"No, it's not…"

"Haley…it's time to go."

Keith looked at Haley and she looked back to Natalie.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Everything you wanted, the questions…they've been answered. Nathan and Jamie need you back there now."

Haley looked at Natalie, then back at Keith.

"What about Natalie?"

"I'll follow you…don't worry."

Haley looked at Keith and he raised his eyebrows.

"You gotta go now Haley…go."

Haley took one last glance at Natalie and Natalie nodded and took a deep breath. Within the blink of an eye, Haley was gone from Keith and Natalie's views. The two of them looked at each other and then Natalie looked at the ground.

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Jamie heard a moan from behind him. He froze and turned to look at Haley. His breath was caught in his throat. He inhaled and waited for something else to happen. He stood and walked to her bedside. He looked surprised and wiped a tear from his eye. He watched as Haley slowly opened an eye. Jamie let out a short breath of disbelief. He sniffed to keep his tears from falling and when he saw Haley open both eyes a smile sprouted to his face. She saw him and she smiled ever so slightly. He rushed to her side and hovered over her body.

"Hi…" She whispered and he only stood there smiling like a mindless fool.

"…H-hi…can you...hold on for a sec?" Haley nodded.

"Sure…"

Jamie sighed in relief and before he left his placed a kiss on his mother's forehead.

"Thanks for coming back…"

Jamie exited the room and went to find his father. Haley tried to lift her head, but it hurt too much. _Is Natalie awake yet?_

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Jamie was bustling down the hallways of the hospital. He came to the waiting room and searched frantically for his father. He saw him talking to a doctor and rushed over to the both of them. He was out of breath and Nathan, seeing this, became worried.

"Jamie? What's wrong?"

"D-d-doctor…my mom…she's awake."

Nathan didn't waste another minute, but rushed to Haley's room. He picked up his pace and ran as quickly as his feet could move. He got to the room and saw Haley looking out the window to the right of her. He inhaled and caught his breath. She was crying. He rushed to her side and the water from his eyes fell. He grabbed onto her hand and sat in the chair that he had vacated before Jamie came. The doctor rushed into the room and looked at Haley.

"Mr. Scott. I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave. I have to do some final examinations."

Nathan nodded and kissed Haley's hand.

"I'll be back as soon as the doctor's done okay?"

Haley nodded and Nathan and Jamie left the room. The doctor closed the door and Jamie and Nathan sat outside of the room. Nathan had a small smile on his face. _One down, one to go._ Nathan would find himself entirely happy if Natalie would come out of her coma. _Thanks for having one of them come out. _Jamie stood and Nathan gave him a questioning look.

"I figured Uncle Lucas, Peyton, Aunt Brooke, Mouth and Jake would wanna know what was going on. I was thinking of getting uncle Lucas to talk to them after I give him the message."

"Okay buddy."

Jamie stood and walked into the waiting area. Nathan still sat in his position and waited for what seemed like an hour before the doctor let him into the room again. He was now standing over Haley and she was tired.

"Hey you. How are you feeling?"

"Tired…"

"How? You've been sleeping for the past 39 hours."

"…Has it been that long?"

"Yeah…"

Haley tried to lift her head again, but Nathan stooped her.

"Hey don't put stress on your body. You can't afford it."

"I just wanted to know if Natalie was awake yet…"

Nathan looked at Haley and caressed her face. She leaned into his touch and gave her a sympathetic look.

"I'm sorry Hales…she's not."

Haley sighed. _She promised._

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Keith and Natalie just looked at the spot where Haley recently was. Keith turned to Natalie and stared at her.

"You're a good liar Nat…"

"Almost as good as you…"

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**A/N: **Okay so there it is…the UD I promised…this should sustain you until I get back from CALI…I'm so excited. As for last night's episode…despite the hate that has grown in me for Carrie, that episode had more Naley scenes than any other in the entire season and I keep getting told to keep the Naley faith and believe me I will…all I'm saying is that when Naley do **finally** be them again, it better be one HELL of a make-up because I speak for ALL NALEY fans when I say that we have waited too long! Anyways please review and the more reviews I get the more inspired I'll be when I get back!

Songs used in Ch. 14: In order

Shadow of the Day – Linkin Park  
Calling All Angels – Train  
Lay Me Down – The Wreckers  
I Wonder – Kellie Pickler (Thanks to HJS-NS 23 for the song choice!)


	15. What Could Be

A/N: Hey guys

**A/N:** Hey guys. So on my way to Cali for my vacation…I was thinking of you guys and hopefully you like this. I've been getting awesome feedback from you guys and thanks! One of you gave me a nickname as "Master of Cliffhangers"…so this chapter's for you…ENJOY! P.S Sorry it took so long to UD…between school and other commitments I was lucky to have UD'd.

**CHAPTER IS INTENSE TOWARDS THE END AND AT END READ AT OWN RISK!**

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"_You're a good liar Natalie…"_

"_Almost as good as you."_

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"_I just wanted to know if Natalie was awake yet…"_

_Nathan looked at Haley and caressed her face. She leaned into his touch and gave her a sympathetic look._

"_I'm sorry Hales…she's not."_

_Haley sighed. __**She promised.**_

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"_I'm so sorry little sister. I was trying to protect you from the idiot. I'm glad that the worst is over. Thanks for pulling through. If you hadn't I'd probably be following you, like you used to follow me as soon as you learned to walk. You have to wake up soon, you and mom both because dad and I can't handle all of this. You had to be a hero huh? You had to go to the rescue? Of course you did…you're a protector, a hero to everyone…even me. I'm glad you made it out of the surgery, but now you gotta wake up…"_

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Nathan watched the tears fall form Haley's angelic face. He felt bad, not being able to give his wife what she wanted. She didn't speak. Nathan looked over at Natalie's body, lying on the hospital bed. The only movement that came from her was the rising and falling of her chest. Nathan glanced back at Haley and grabbed onto her hand. He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, letting her know that he was there for her. She gave him a tiny, sad grin.

"She'll wake up, I promise you…"

"Don't make promises that you can't keep Nathan…" There was a double meaning to that. He only looked at her with sadness and sighed in apology.

"I'm sorry…it's just…I wake up from a nightmare, only to find out that the nightmare isn't over."

"What do you mean?"

"Did Natalie die Nathan?"

He froze. _What am I supposed to say to that? _Nathan glanced at Haley and cautiously nodded his head.

_So, my nightmare was real? Why isn't she awake yet?_

"How did you know that Hales?"

Haley looked at Nathan and shook her head. "Just wondering…" Nathan looked at Haley and continued to hold onto her hand. Haley began to close her eyes. She struggled to keep them open. Nathan saw this and smiled. He brought her hand to his lips and grazed her knuckles with a kiss. He shook his head.

"Don't worry. Go to sleep. Just promise me that you'll wake up."

She smiled and gave a small laugh. Then she lay her head back down and fell into a slumber. Nathan looked at her as her eyes closed. His gaze shifted to Natalie. _You gotta wake up kiddo for me, your brother and for you mother. We have to know that you're okay. _He grabbed onto Natalie's hand and fell asleep with her hand in his. Nathan hadn't slept for a while and he went into a long, deep sleep.

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_**We have to know that you're okay.**_ Natalie looked up to the voice coming from above her. It was her father's voice.

"Dad?"

"He's gone Natalie. See how many people want you back? You have to wake up. You lied to Haley about waking up and you lied to me about **having more to live for.**"

"Hey, you lied to Haley too. When I said that I'd follow her, you nodded."

"It was her time to leave. If that was gonna get her to wake up then it was what I had to do…and you lied to her and me about having more to live for."

"Why can't I stay here?"

"This is no man's land…and you came back. Why?"

"…I heard this voice. Something about it drew me away from the light. It was begging me to come back. I don't wanna wake up Keith, what use is it?"

"There are people back there waiting for you. You're gonna wake up…"

"Isn't that my choice?"

Keith couldn't argue with her. It was her decision whether or not she woke up. He didn't know why she wouldn't want to go back. She had a family that loved her to death. Best friends who stuck by her side every single day and many talents given to her without being asked. She had the world in the palm of her hand, every opportunity available to her and she wanted to give it all up.

"Yeah, but…before you give up _entirely_ can I show you some stuff? And if at the end of it, you still wanna give up on life, I'll let you."

Natalie thought it over. She looked to the ground below her feet and then to the sky above her. What could it hurt? She was certain that she didn't wanna go back, and she knew that nothing would change her mind.

"Fine."

"Okay. C'mon."

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Haley opened her eyes, gazing at the view before her. Nathan was asleep between her and Natalie's beds. She gazed over at her daughter's form; comatose. A single tear fell from her eye. 'She promised she'd wake up.' Haley had woken up from her coma about 3 days ago and she was doing better than most post-trauma patients. She noticed Nathan stirring in his sleep and, with a soft snort escaping his nose, he awoke from his slumber. He opened his eyes and felt a familiar pair gazing at him. He gave a soft grin and she flashed a sad one back to him.

"What's wrong?"

"She's still not awake." Haley pointed to Natalie's body. Nathan sighed

and moved over to sit on the edge of Haley's bed, careful not to put anything

out of place.

"She'll wake up."

"What makes you so sure?"

"She's just like you...accepts any challenge and does the best that she can and more."

Haley looked at Nathan. He placed his hand on her cheek and leaned down and

gave her a soft peck on her lips.

"Anything I can do for you?"

"Go home."

"What?"

"Nathan...you've been here for 6 days. You haven't slept or showered in 144 hours. Go home, shower and sleep. I'll call you if anything changes...I'll get someone to call you. I promise."

Nathan wanted to argue, but she was right. He nodded and whispered an "okay." He leaned down again and kissed her, longer than before.

"I can't wait until you get out of here. Then I get to have you to myself."

"Go..."

Nathan stood and went to Natalie's bedside. He grabbed her hand and kissed it. He leaned down and whispered into his daughter's ear...

"Wake up. We all need you here...especially your mom. We love you. Please be okay my little angel. We love you Nibs. I'll be back soon, I promise."

He placed a kiss on her forehead and walked out of the room, but not before he blew a kiss to a sleeping Haley. He exited the room and headed home.

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Natalie and Keith walked along the halls of her school. Natalie was confused as to why she was here. They came to a halt in front of the cafeteria. Natalie raised an eyebrow and looked at Keith confused.

"What…is this?"

"This is your school."

"I know that I mean…why are we here?"

"Well, you were wondering what would've happen if Haley wasn't your teacher that day…and what it would be like if you let your talents shine."

"…How di-"

"Come. Watch." Keith and Natalie walked further into the cafeteria towards the back. There, Natalie saw herself with Daniel and Molly. They were sitting on an elevated piece. Natalie looked at Daniel and Molly who were sitting in front of her other. She could the strumming of a guitar and Natalie raised her eyebrows. Her and Keith heard a soft, but broken voice singing.

_Keeping up appearances  
__Keeping up with the Jones'  
Fooling my selfish heart  
Going through the motions_

_But I'm fooling myself  
I'm fooling myself  
Cause you say you love me  
And then you do it again,  
You do it again  
You say you're sorry  
And then you do it again  
You do it again_

Natalie walked with Keith and they got closer to the threesome that was sitting around on their lunch hour just making the usual noise. Natalie watched the scene unravel alongside Keith. Opposite to the three on the elevated piece, she could see a head of brown hair and she recognized her as Haley.

"_Daaaamn best friend. You get better and better every time we hear you play."_

"_You're awesome bud…"_

"_Thanks you guys…unfortunately the only songs that I can play or sing are those filled with pain and remorse."_

_Daniel and Molly giggled. "So not true Nats."_

"_Yeah. C'mon you're brilliant. You can sing anything."_

_Natalie smirked and then her eyes wandered to the wall opposite to her and her friends. She saw a familiar face and then her blood began to boil in rage. __**What the hell is she doing here?**__ Molly noticed Natalie's face fall from the goofy grin to pissed off and confused._

"_What's wrong Nat?" Molly looked in Natalie's direction. Her jaw dropped. "OH MY GOD! Is that?"_

"_Haley James Scott? Yeah." Daniel shifted in his spot and put his hand on Natalie's shoulder. Natalie looked down at her hands. She had her guitar in them and then looked at Haley. She took a deep breath and then strummed it, never taking her eyes off of her birth mother._

_Oh, do you wonder where it starts  
Where it ends  
What you find around the bend  
Oh, do you wonder where she's from  
Where she goes  
No one knows  
Now and then you wonder _

"_**Nat? Are you crazy?" Natalie just kept playing looking at Haley.**_

_Why you're spending all your money _

_Ain't it funny how she walks on by? _

_She had you all believing _

_Now she's leaving for no reason _

_And you're wondering why _

_**Natalie and Haley's eyes connected. Haley recognized the song this teenager sung as her. She didn't want to hear it and she began to walk in her direction. Natalie saw this and smirked.**_

_So till the morning breaks _

_Go and make your mistakes _

_Don't be surprised if your heart hurts _

_Life is for the living, the forgiven and for leaving town alive_

_Haley had got to Natalie. Natalie stopped playing immediately and smirked at Haley. Molly sat there, jaw dropped and Daniel just sat and watched, afraid of what would happen. Haley looked at Natalie, something was so familiar about this girl, but she couldn't put her finger on it. _

"_I'll ask you not to sing that, please."_

"_Why not? Afraid people might recognize it?"_

"_No…"_

"_Well then…__**One thing is clear, I wear a halo, I wear a halo when you look at me. But, standing from here you wouldn't say so, you wouldn't say so if you were me and I, I just wanna love you."**_

"_I believe I asked you to stop it." Natalie smirked and laughed a little. She responded._

"_Okay…" Haley began to walk away. "…then why don't you sing for us?" Haley turned her head to look back at the one speaking to her._

"_No."_

"_Oh c'mon…sing for us __**Haley James Scott.**_

"_N.S…quit it!" Molly whispered to Natalie_

"_You…come with me and bring your stuff with you." Natalie smirked and hopped off of the platform that she sat on with her friends. She smirked to Molly and Daniel and raised her eyebrows and widened her eyes. Molly only shook her head and Daniel mouthed a __**good luck**__ to Natalie. Haley led Natalie out of the cafeteria. Natalie was familiar with the path that Haley was taking. Natalie walked beside Haley._

"_You've got some voice, but you've also got an attitude."_

"_What can I say? I take after my father…"_

"_And your mother?"_

"_Who cares? She abandoned us 3 years ago."_

_Haley shook off Natalie's words, not knowing that the teenager spoke about her, and knocked on Principle Turner's office. A man's voice told them to enter and Haley and Natalie walked in. He looked up at the two ladies on front of him._

"_Well, well this is a surprise…" Haley became confused._

"_What is?"_

"_To see young Natalie in my office for any reason other than scholarship offers from various ivy league schools. What seems to be the problem Mrs. Scott?" Natalie looked at Haley and raised her eyebrows. _**She still goes by dad's name?**_ Haley looked to Natalie._

"_I think I can answer that sir…I was being…disrespectful."_

"_That's not like you Natalie."_

"_I know that…also, she asked me to do something and I did the opposite of what she asked."_

"_Two infractions? Natalie Scott…"_

_Haley scrunched her eyebrows in confusion. _**Natalie Scott?**_ Natalie smirked and then looked to Haley. _

"_Sorry Principle Turner…"_

"_I'm not the one you owe an apology to."_

"_You're right. But…until I get mine and when my brother and father get theirs…she'll get mine."_

"_Miss Sco-"_

"_I'm sorry sir…I can't."_

Natalie watched with Keith and the scene faded to black.

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Haley began to wake up. Her eyes opened slowly and she felt something attached to her hand. She looked to her hand and saw Nathan's hand. She smirked and shook her head.

"I thought I told you to go home, shower and sleep."

"I did…but when I tried to sleep, I couldn't. You know I can't sleep without you near me."

"How did you manage for 3 years?"

"I had my kids with me. One of them is emotionally beating themselves and the other is in a coma so…besides, did you really expect me to be away from you for so long?"

"I guess I should have expected it."

"Yeah. You should've." Nathan stood and leaned down to kiss Haley.

"So guess what?"

"It's hard for me to kiss you when you're talking."

"Sorry, but the doctors say I get to be released tomorrow."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I just have to stay this last night for final observation."

Nathan released the breath he didn't know that he was holding. _At least she can be safe with me and I don't have to worry about her. _He looked over at Natalie. _C'mon Natalie wake up…please._ Haley noticed where Nathan looked. Tears began to form in her eyes and Nathan grabbed her hand for comfort. Natalie had been in a coma for 6 days and for 2 of those days, Haley had also been in a coma. Nathan never left either of their sides except for when Haley asked him to a few hours ago. Nathan looked from Haley to Natalie.

"I just wish that she'd wake up."

"Me too."

"The doctors said that the second heart attack caused a lot on her body and they dunno if she'll wake up. Apparently it's up to her."

"…It is." _She'll wake up. She has to. She promised me._

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"Keith…was that some sick joke?"

"What do you mean?"

"She still wouldn't have recognized me?"

"There are some things in any life that never change. For example, no, Haley would not have recognized you and in any other alternate universe, you'd still have your music because that's the one part of your mother that you carry with you wherever it is that you go, secret or not. Now c'mon."

"Where are we going?"

Keith didn't speak. Natalie just followed him into a pool of darkness. She was scared at first, but then the fear subsided. Her breathing increased and then she looked to her left, and there was Keith looking down at her. She stumbled onto a wet patch of grass. She lay on her stomach and pushed the ground to get herself up to her feet. Keith already stood gazing off into a distance at a man with sandy blonde hair. The man was in tears and held a bouquet of small purple flowers. Natalie scurried to her feet and looked to where Keith was looking off to. Keith began to walk the man with blonde hair and Natalie followed. They came to a halt when they were close enough to make the young man's face out. He was sitting, crying. He had put the flowers down in front of him. He was mumbling something. It sounded like an apology. Natalie looked at the man and noticed that it was her brother, Jamie. He looked as if he hadn't shaved in a fortnight and she was confused as to the reason for his tears. Keith walked to kneel behind Jamie's sitting form. She followed Keith and noticed that Jamie sat in front of a tombstone. **Scott.** Natalie figured that he was at Keith's grave, but then she noticed the small photo to the right under the surname on the tombstone; it was her grave.

_**SCOTT  
Natalie Scott  
Oct. 28, 2008 – Apr. 16, 2025  
Loving daughter, sister, friend  
Hero  
R.I.P**_

Natalie looked at Jamie, then at Keith.

"What is this?"

"What happens if you decide to not to wake up…and it's not pretty. You think that you're helping people by not waking up? You're in for a surprise."

Natalie turned her attention back to Jamie. Tears were falling freely without care if anyone saw or heard him.

"_I-…I-I'm sorry Nibs. I should've said something and I should've stopped Rob before any of this happened. Then you'd still be here. Why couldn't you have woken up? Things would have been __**so**__ much better. Dad wouldn't have gone to prison. Mom wouldn't have become a drunkard. I mean…sure it's only been a year…exactly a year, but things aren't good at all Nibs. Mom and Dad stopped talking altogether when your 18__th__ birthday came. The divorce was finalized in March…when did things become so screwed up? I mean…I feel like the only one who hasn't lost their mind. Molly's gone completely goth on Daniel and she hardly speaks to me anymore. Daniel…well, I hope he's okay. Uncle Luke wrote a book about your story, of course he called your character Karen, like you would've wanted. Remember that day that you wanted to change your name? I think you were…4? Karen became your idol and you wanted to be like her…in every way." _Jamie flashed a small grin for a millisecond before his tears began again. _"Aunt Brooke is a mess, I'm surprised that she isn't joining mom by drinking her sorrows away. If anything, she's trying to stay strong for Haley…both of them. Speaking of, little Haley still hates you for leaving. That little girl cries every night for you to come back…the tears never stop with her. Peyton and Jake are getting married next year and Mouth left town. Jenny left too. She said that there were too many memories here. Lily's doing okay. Not as happy or cheery without you around the café. She told me that most days she just breaks down and cries…because she looks at the grill on the weekends and doesn't see you standing there. I hope you're watching over all of us and I hope you're okay."_

_**FLASH**_

Natalie and Keith found themselves in a poorly lit space. The clanging of metal startled Natalie. She found herself in a jail cell. She looked at her surroundings and could see a large hump under a heap of bed sheets. She could subtle moans of what could not be mistaken for tears. Keith stood behind her and nodded to let her know that she could approach the heap of fabric. She walked towards it when the heap disheveled and dispersed in a hurry. She could the figure of her father. _**Why is he in prison?**_ Then, Nathan stood up. His goatee was a 5:00 shadow and his hair fell in front of his face.

"_SCOTT! You got a visitor."_

In front of Nathan stood Lucas,

"_Hey little brother."_

"_Hey Luke. How's everyone?"_

"_No better than you."_

"_Why you here?"_

"_Forget the date?"_

"_I know…it's one year…how's Haley and Jamie?"_

"_Terrible. Haley's not any better and Jamie avoids most people."_

"_Why you here and don't say it's for comfort…"_

"_Why'd you do it?"_

"_Do what?"_

"_Kill Rob?"_

"_He killed my daughter…what more reason is there?"_

"_You became Dan, Nate…something you said you'd never become."_

_**FLASH**_

Natalie found herself with Keith in dark hallway of a home. Natalie couldn't see anything. All the blind were closed. All the windows and doors were locked. Natalie squinted, hoping that by doing so, she could make out where she was. The hallway seemed familiar enough when the lights were immediately snapped on. She looked behind her and saw Jamie, tear-stained face, entering the house. He dropped his keys on the entranceway table and walked into the house. He past Natalie and Keith who followed him, he got stopped by Brooke.

"_It's not a good day Jamie."_

"_Is it ever a good day?"_

"_Good point, but today especially."_

"_Which is why I should talk to her." Brooke looked at Jamie with sorrow._

"_Do it at your own risk hun…she's had a few."_

"_When has she __**not**__ had a few?"_

Jamie moved past Brooke and walked up the staircase. Natalie and Keith followed him. He walked to the end of the hallway and knocked on the door on his right. It was Natalie's room. **Why's he going in there?** He knocked again and heard a grunt. He walked in and Natalie and Keith followed before he closed the door behind him. Haley lay on Natalie's bed in tears, bottles surrounding her feet and she had a bottle of **Absolut** in her left hand. Jamie sighed and his stomach tangled into a bed of knots.

"_Hi." No answer. "I went to see her today…I spoke to her-"_

"_Did she talk back? Oh right. She can't. She's dead."_

"_Mom…maybe you should switch to something lighter."_

"_You're right. Pass me the rum." Haley pointed to the bottle to her left._

"_That's not what I meant. I meant that you should stop."_

"_I can't…she's gone…gone…gone." She laughed a little. "One minute she's speaking to me, telling me that she'll wake up and the next…she's GONE! WHY?!"_

"_It was my fault…I should've said something.'_

"_I should've never come home."_

"_I'm glad you did…otherwise I would still hate you and I don't want that."_

"_Natalie would be here at least…WHY IS SHE GONE?"_

Haley broke into tears. Jamie went to hug her to comfort her, but she pushed him away. He fell to the floor and she threw the bottle of **Absolut** at the wall opposite to her. It landed on Natalie's dresser, knocking their family picture off of the dresser, cracking it and it fell to the floor. Tears fell from both of their eyes.

_**FLASH**_

Natalie and Keith found themselves back on the street. The two of them were walking and Keith stopped. She looked beside her and noticed that they stood beside the River Court. In the center of the court sat a basketball, calling for Natalie. Keith motioned his hand for Natalie to go play. She walked to the ball and bounced it once.

Twice.

Three times.

She dribbled, running as freely as she wanted to. She bounced the ball hard. It shot up taller than her. She headed for the hoop and jumped. In midair, she caught the ball and slammed it into the net. The ball disappeared and she looked to Keith. He walked over to her.

"You still don't wanna wake up?"

"How do I know that they're not just illusions?"

"What do you mean?"

"How do I know that you're not lying?"

"You'd have to trust me."

"What if I don't?"

"You do…you trusted me this far…make up your mind…I can't control it…hopefully I won't see you for a while."

At that, Keith turned and walked away. He disappeared into the night around him and Natalie. Natalie did a 360 turn and surveyed the River Court. She could hear the faint sound of a familiar tune, one that Haley used to sing to her as a child. Natalie began to whistle along and soon her whistles became words.

_**Yesterday he said my eyes  
Were fading fast away  
I said well what do you expect  
You asked me not to stay and if it had all been for the best  
I wouldn't feel this way  
And he said**_

_**Oh he said it's crazy**_

_**How love stays with me**_

_**You know it hurts me**_

_**Cause I don't wanna fight this war**_

_**It's amazing to see me reading through this scene**_

_**Of love and fear and apologies**_

Natalie saw a bright light. It called for her. She was blinded by it, but in no way afraid. She walked towards it.

_**My love is like a blanket  
That gets a little bit too warm sometimes  
I wanna wrap somebody in it  
Who can hold me in his arms  
Cause when it got a little too hot in there  
He was always stepping out for air and he froze  
Oh he froze**_

Haley had been released and she had stayed at the hospital with Nathan. The two of them sat by Natalie's bedside. They wanted so bad for Natalie to wake up. Haley sat on Nathan's lap and their hands intertwined. They watched their daughter, hoping for any sign of movement.

_**He said it's crazy  
How love stays with me  
You know it hurts me  
Cause I don't wanna fight this war  
It's amazing to see me reading through this scene  
Of love and fear and apologies**_

Nathan and Haley noticed that Natalie's heart monitor began to speed up rapidly. The beeping startled the both of them and Nathan ran to call a doctor. Haley ran to Natalie's and grabbed her hand. Haley's tears began to fall hard. Nathan returned with a doctor and a crew of nurses rolled their aid. Nathan grabbed Haley from the bed.

_**Yesterday he looked at me  
With a tear in his eye and said  
I'll always tell you you're my friend  
I hope I don't have to lie  
Cause it's clear you love another man  
I said you're damn right**_

Nathan held Haley as she cried into his shirt. The echoes of the doctors and nurses voices were all that could be heard. Nathan and Haley only stared at Natalie's lifeless body.

"_Clear."_

"_Charge to 300."_

"_Charged."_

"_Clear."_

_**And he said  
He said it's crazy  
How love stays with me  
You know it hurts me  
Cause I don't wanna fight this war  
It's amazing to see me reading through this scene  
Of love and fear and apologies**_

The flat-line on the monitor didn't cease to exist. The long beep signaled the worst for the two parents in the room. The doctor looked at his watch on his left wrist.

"Time of death, 23:47, April 16, 2025."

"NO!"

Haley ran to Natalie's side and grabbed her hand. Nathan followed Haley and wrapped his arm around Haley's body. The two of them cried. The staff of the hospital who had tried to save a life watched the family with sympathy. The doctor hung his head and could only hear the wife of Nathan Scott, crying.

_**He said it's crazy**_

_**How love stays with me**_

_**You know it hurts me**_

_**That I didn't figure it out before**_

_**And now it's too late for a soliloquy**_

_**It's way too late for dignity**_

_**It's time for apologies  
Apologies**_

"…**ow**..." Coughs followed the voice.

_**Apologies  
Apologies**_

232323

**A/N: **Okay people...there's an update. Hope you liked it…if you read PLEASE review…the more reviews I get, the quicker I update! Thanks you guys for keeing me going this far! Songs used in this chapter…in order

Re-offender – Travis  
Leaving Town Alive – Bethany Joy Galeotti  
Halo – Haley James Scott/Bethany Joy Galeotti  
Apologies – Grace Potter & the Nocturnals


	16. Crash Into Me

A/N: Okay so, I got a few great reviews and I'm content

**A/N:** Okay so, I got a few great reviews and I'm content. Okay so, this chapter is basically the calm after the storm. Hopefully you guys will like it! P.S. Break out the tissues people, this is an emotional chapter…

232323

_The flat-line on the monitor didn't cease to exist. The long beep signaled the worst for the two parents in the room. The doctor looked at his watch on his left wrist._

"_Time of death, 23:47, April 16, 2025."_

"_NO!"_

_Haley ran to Natalie's side and grabbed her hand. Nathan followed Haley and wrapped his arm around Haley's body. The two of them cried. The staff of the hospital that had tried to save a life watched the family with sympathy. The doctor hung his head and could only hear the wife of Nathan Scott, crying._

_**He said it's crazy**_

_**How love stays with me**_

_**You know it hurts me**_

_**That I didn't figure it out before**_

_**And now it's too late for a soliloquy**_

_**It's way too late for dignity**_

_**It's time for apologies  
Apologies**_

"…**ow**..." _Coughs followed the voice._

_**Apologies  
Apologies**_

Nathan and Haley were startled by the voice. They looked at the heart monitor and it had begun to resume normally. The doctors looked amazed and Nathan and Haley's tears had become those of thanks.

"…ow…" Coughs followed the voice. Nathan and Haley looked down at their daughter who had begun to open their eyes. She turned to see Haley and Nathan hovering over her.

"Are you okay?"

"You're blocking my oxygen." Nathan and Haley sprung back. The doctors moved Nathan and Haley out of the room to examine Natalie. Haley and Nathan stood in the hallway in each other's arms. Their tears of sadness converted to tears of joy. They began to walk to the waiting room as the doctor had instructed them to and when they arrived to the room where Lucas, Jamie, Peyton and Brooke waited for them. Those who were waiting sprung to their feet hoping for some decent news. Nathan had his arm wrapped around Haley's upper arms and she leaned into his chest. Nathan noticed the people waiting for him and he let go of Haley and grabbed her hand, gave it a small squeeze and stopped in front of their family.

"…She's awake."

232323

Natalie lay in her bed. The doctors and nurses had already left and she had some alone time. She was so tired, but couldn't sleep. She surveyed her surroundings and smiled to herself. There was only one voice in her head and, to her surprise it was Keith. _**Welcome Home.**_ She smirked knowing that he was proud of her for going home…_home. I like the sound of that._ She laid her head back and took a deep breath. There was a window to her right. She looked out of it and noticed the darkness of the night. She looked up at the sky and got a clear view of the stars. She smirked when she saw her favourite, Orion; the warrior. She smirked and the doorknob twisted and opened. In walked her brother and he had a tear-stained face. He stood in the doorway and she smirked at him.

"Hey bud…" Jamie walked over Natalie and hugged her body frame.

"You're lucky you woke up."

"Why? Cuz you would've followed me? Like I used to follow you?"

"……Y-yeah." He smiled and sighed. "How you feeling?"

"Not too bad."

"Did you have another epiphany?"

"Duh…" She laughed a little and Jamie grabbed her hand.

"Listen. This is the last time I ever want to see you in a hospital bed got it?"

"You don't want nieces or nephews? I can handle that…"

"WHAT? NO! Okay, **unless** you're pregnant, which I hope won't be in the near future, I don't wanna see you in a hospital bed…"

"Okay. I promise."

"Good." A throat cleared behind them and Lucas and Brooke walked into the room. Jamie turned back to Natalie. "So…I gotta jet. I have classes to get back to so, be good and I'll see you soon…about 2 weeks okay?" Natalie nodded and he bent down and kissed her forehead. When he left, Natalie turned her attention to Lucas and Brooke. They were both smiling…really smiling. Brooke sat down in the vacated chair and Lucas stood behind her.

"You gave us quite a scare there buddy."

"I know uncle Luke. I'm sorry."

"It doesn't matter. I have my baby-sitter back."

"Nice to know that's how much I matter to you aunt Brooke."

"Hey! I love you so much okay?"

"Just checking." Natalie smirked and Brooke bit her bottom lip.

"Hey Luke? Could you call Peyton? She and I have something to discuss with Natalie."

"You kicking me out?"

"Yeah Broody." Natalie grinned at Brooke, who winked at her. Natalie looked at Lucas and he blew an exasperated breath. He had surrendered and nodded.

"Okay…" He walked to Natalie and laid a kiss on her forehead. "…but I better get some uncle time in later."

"Count on it uncle Luke." He winked at her and then left. Brooke looked at her niece and smiled.

"Welcome back you."

"Thanks." Brooke noticed the look on Natalie's face. She became concerned.

"What's wrong?"

"I was just…wondering…how am I gonna catch up with school?" Brooke giggled and shook her head.

"You _are_ your mother's child. Don't worry, your uncle has you covered." Natalie nodded and then Peyton entered the room. She practically pounced on Natalie, hugging her.

"Peyt-…can't…breathe…" Peyton jumped back and Natalie smirked and yawned. It was 1:00 in the morning, but she didn't want to sleep. Peyton squeezed into the chair beside Brooke who were raising their eyebrows at each other and pointing their heads toward Natalie. She was confused.

"You know…I'm **right** here. I can see you. What's up?"

"Well…" Brooke began. "We…me and Peyton, think that…"

"…You should tell people about playing music."

Natalie scoffed. _How many times is this gonna happen before they realize that I won't do it?_

"I can't." Peyton shifted out of the chair and went closer to Natalie, sitting at the foot of her bed.

"Nat…don't you see?"

"See what?" Brooke continued.

"That you were brought back because you have to shine kiddo."

"You have to call something your own. Imagine the amount of scholarships that would come pouring into your lap."

"I don't care. I mean, sure I love music and love playing it but, I can't do that to my brother."

There was a knock at the door and Lucas made an appearance.

"Sorry for intruding ladies, but Brooke we gotta get going. Haley wants her parents…or so says my mother."

"Okay." Brooke stood and bent down to kiss Natalie's cheek. "Welcome home kiddo. Don't slip into another coma okay? We all need you here."

"So I've been told…don't worry aunt Brooke, I'm not going anywhere." Brooke smiled and placed a final kiss on Natalie's cheek then, she left with Lucas, leaving Peyton and Natalie alone. Peyton turned her attention to Natalie.

"So? How do you feel?"

"Like ass…it hurts to move sometimes."

"Yeah…but, you should be outta here in no time right?"

"I guess. I only had a heart attack…I guess this means no more doing anything fun then huh?"

"Well, not entirely. Your uncle still plays basketball sometimes."

"Yeah, but he's only had one heart attack. I'm beating him."

"Just take it slow for a little while and I'm sure you'll be able to play again someday."

"Yeah, but someday isn't today."

"Hey…you should be thankful that you were given today. Just imagine what would've happened if you hadn't woken up at all."

_**I can imagine. **_"Are these words actually coming from your mouth? I mean…words about life are coming from Peyton "Brooding" Sawyer?"

"Shut up." Natalie smiled and sighed. Her head turned when she noticed two faces watching her and Peyton. Peyton turned to see what Natalie was looking at and nodded. She rose from her spot and turned to Natalie.

"I'm gonna get going. I'm tired and as much fun as it is hanging out in the waiting room, I miss my bed at night so, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay…" Peyton bent down to hug Natalie. "See ya Peyt." Peyton smiled at the two who occupied the doorway. They moved out of the way and when Peyton left, they closed the door. Natalie looked at the two that stood before her. She smiled at the two of them and, hand-in-hand, they walked towards her.

"Hey."

"Hi."

"Had you two scared didn't I?"

Nathan and Haley looked at Natalie and they nodded simultaneously.

_**I'm a frantic unsatisfied woman  
When the day grows long  
And I can't seem to settle down  
Then slowly grows our little faith  
I hang my head on  
Everyday my dreams will get bigger  
Then I hear there's nothing  
I can dream hasn't been dreamt before  
So I water my little faith  
And hope for the better  
I know there's so much more for me  
I know there's so much more  
So much more than I can see**_

She smirked and looked at the two of them. She really noticed their facial expressions. Nathan had a look of relief on his face. He still wore the same look that Natalie remembered him wearing; the protective father. His hand resided on Haley's shoulder and Natalie knew that he was doing so to protect her as well as comfort his wife. Natalie smiled at her father's hand placement. Her eyes then became drawn to Haley's face. A soft smile resided on her tear-stained face. The tears were still falling, but not as many as before.

_**So won't you come to me  
I'll be the first one waiting  
I'll be the last to leave  
Promise you'll come to me  
I'll give you anything  
I'll give everything you need**_

"Are you okay?" Natalie noticed that more tears formed in Haley's eyes. Haley nodded, but Natalie didn't believe her. "C'mere."

Haley moved to Natalie and sat on the edge of her bed, careful not to block her oxygen like before. Haley put her hand in Natalie's and Natalie squeezed Haley's hand. Haley looked at Natalie and sniffed a tear back, to prevent it from falling. Any that had fallen from her face, Haley had brushed them away with her free hand.

_**And did I mention that  
I'm in lack of a loving hand  
And the nights go long  
And I can't seem to start again  
Then slowly grows our little light  
Breaks through my shadow  
Breaks through my shadow  
I know there's so much more  
So much more than I can see**_

"Did you really think that I wouldn't wake up? … I promised you, didn't I?"

_**So won't you come to me  
I'll be the first one waiting  
I'll be the last to leave  
Promise you'll come to me  
I'll give you anything  
I'll give everything you need**_

Haley looked at Natalie with question. _It was no dream._ Natalie slowly blinked and Haley nodded softly. Natalie pulled Haley towards her and gave Haley a hug. Haley's arms, embraced Natalie's body and Haley teared up once again. Nathan watched in happiness as he watched the two most important women in his life get along. _Finally._ Haley rocked Natalie back and forth and Natalie looked at Nathan looking at them, smiling and Natalie flashed a sincere smile back to her father. Natalie hugged Haley tighter, afraid to let go. She sighed and released Haley. Haley looked at her daughter and noticed the smile on her face; a true, genuine smile. Haley smiled back at her.

_**Oh and all along yes  
You knew all along  
You knew me all along  
You know what I need  
Oh I…**_

_**Come to me  
I'll be the first one waiting  
I'll be the last to leave  
Come to me  
I'll give you anything  
I'll give everything you need**_

"A promise is a promise…" Natalie looked at her parents and a wave of realization came over her. "…it was you, both of you. You two brought me home."

232323

Natalie walked the hallway of her school. It was a Friday and Natalie had a hard week. She had gone back to school that Monday and found herself behind in all of her classes. Jamie was due back home tonight, for his finals had been completed and he was beginning his summer vacation. Natalie found this unfortunate for her because she still had another 2 months before she graduated High School. She was excited to get out of this place.

"BESTEST FRIEND!"

Natalie turned her head to see Molly and Daniel rushing towards her. Molly jumped on Natalie's back.

"Molly, are you trying to kill her?"

"Danny, I'm just making sure that she doesn't lose her stamina because she's gonna have to help you ward off all of the jackass boys next year."

Natalie and Daniel looked at Molly, confused.

"What?"

"Surprise, surprise…your ditzy friend got her acceptance letter from Duke _and_ from Stanford…so I will be following you two doctor wannabe's next year!"

Natalie and Daniel were shocked from the happiness. The two girls shrieked together and Daniel just watched, still in shock. Natalie and Molly hugged each other.

"Which program?"

"Creative writing!"

"Ah yes, you _always_ bet Daniel and I in English."

"Damn straight. Have you heard from Harvard or Yale?"

"…not yet, but soon." Natalie turned her head to the left and saw Haley speaking to one of the teachers. Natalie smirked and turned her attention back to Daniel and Molly. "Uh, you two are coming to Tric tonight right?"

They nodded. "Of course. Your hotty brother is coming home and I'd like to see him."

"Riiight. Okay I'll see you two later then."

Natalie walked toward Haley and Haley saw her from the corner of her eye. _Does this guy ever shut up?_ Natalie stopped in front of the two of them and smirked at the look on Haley's face. She almost broke into a fit of laughter.

"..and then-"

"Mr. Hunter, I'm sorry for interrupting, but I need Mrs. Scott, it's urgent."

"Of course, family matters. I will see you Monday Mrs. Scott." At that, the other turned on his heel and left them alone.

"You're a lifesaver."

"Yeah, he tends to talk a little too much. Ready to go?"

"Yeah, I just have to drop some stuff off in the staff room and then we'll go okay?"

Natalie nodded. The two of them began to walk towards the staff room.

"So, how was your day?"

"Killer. I'm _actually_ behind in Calculus."

"You'll be fine."

"I hope so…so? Are you nervous about tonight? It's your **final** show."

"I'm actually excited."

"Cool. I remember watching one of your shows."

"Yeah? And?"

"You kicked ass." Natalie smirked. They arrived at the staff room. Haley told Natalie to wait. Natalie watched Haley disappear behind the door and began to reminisce about previous days.

_Natalie lay on her bed, watching a movie on her laptop. There was a knock at the door and her father entered her room._

"_Hey you. How you feeling?"_

"_Good. I don't understand why I'm bedridden though."_

"_Doctor said that you have to rest and no intense activities."_

"_I know, but that doesn't mean that I can't walk around the house…"_

"_True. You wanna come downstairs? Your mother's here."_

"_Yeah, sure." Nathan helped Natalie to get up. She stretched her limbs and Nathan grabbed her hand and led her down the stairs. They walked silently through the hall and walked into the kitchen. Haley's back was to the two of them and she read a magazine while twirling her hair. Natalie and Nathan smirked. Natalie put her hands on Haley's eyes, covering them so that all Haley saw was black. Haley's hands began to feel Natalie's arms._

"_Okay, skin's too soft to be Nathan." Natalie released Haley's eyes and hugged her from behind. Haley's hands grabbed onto Natalie's arms._

"_Where've you been hiding? I haven't seen you since I was released from the hospital."_

"_Sorry hun, between work and putting the finishing touches on the album, I haven't been around much and I'm sorry."_

"_It's okay __**mom**__. You gotta do what you gotta do right?" Natalie walked away from her position from behind Haley and walked towards the fridge. She grabbed a bottle of water and when she turned around, she noticed the expression of shock and surprise on her parents' faces. "What?"_

"_Kiddo, do you realize what you __**just**__ said?"_

_Natalie thought and then the realization hit her, she called Haley "mom." She smirked and began to giggle a little. __**It was so natural.**_

"_So what?" Haley rose from her chair and stood. Natalie's giggles subsided and she noticed Haley walking to her. Haley's arms sprawled and brought Natalie in for a hug. Natalie returned the hug and enveloped her mother…__**my mother**__…into her arms. She smiled and exhaled._

"_I love you hun." Natalie's smile grew wider._

"_Love you too, mom."_

Haley smiled at the memory. That day was simply the best day of her life. That was the day she got her family back and to be honest, things haven't been dramatic since. She smiled again at another memory.

_She stood outside the door and knocked. She hadn't been to her apartment since that fateful day that almost took away her life and that of her daughter's. Nathan greeted her. He smiled back at her and allowed her in the house. The two of them walked into the kitchen and Haley put everything that was in her hands on the kitchen table. Then, before she knew it, her lips were captured in Nathan's. He wrapped his arms around her waist. They broke away from their kiss and Haley grinned._

"_What was that for?"_

"_Hey." He sent her his signature smirk and she giggled lightly. Her hands moved from his arms to behind his neck. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she pulled him down to her placing her lips once again on his. The kiss was soft. His lips caressed hers, lightly and soon their lips began to battle each other. Nathan teased Haley's bottom lip and they both smiled at their play fighting. Soon, Nathan broke away abruptly. _

"_So when are you coming home?"_

"_What?"_

"_When are you coming home? Moving back in?"_

"_Nathan…"_

"_You are going to right? I mean, you have to. I need you here and so does Nat and Jamie and soon they'll both be out of here and it'll just be you and me…most days. You're coming home right?"_

_Haley just stood there silent. Nathan grabbed her hands and looked at her. She became tangled in his blue orbs. "Haley, you have to come home. What use is it having a wife who's not with you? You __**are**__ coming home right?"_

"_If you say so."_

_Nathan smiled and picked her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck and he kissed her senseless._

232323

Natalie and Haley entered the quiet house. No one was home. Nathan had been at Tric all day doing inventory and setting up for that night. It was Haley's final show and he wanted things to go well. He made a list of people who were not to be allowed in and did so to avoid as much drama as possible.

"Okay so, I was gonna head down to Tric now, are you coming?"

"Actually, I was gonna stay behind and come later on. I was thinking that I'd take a shower. Get the school smell off of me."

Haley chuckled. "Okay. I'll see you in a bit."

"Okay, love you."

"Love you too." Haley went out he door and winked at Natalie. Natalie walked up the stairs and went into her room. She dropped her stuff from school and her jacket on her bed. She grabbed a change of clothes and headed for the bathroom. She got into the shower and felt the warm water fall on her body. She began to lather her hair and began to sing to her showerhead.

_**You've got your ball    
You've got your chain    
Tied to me tight  
Tie me up again**_

Jamie sat in his bedroom listening to Dave Matthew's on his iPod. He decided that he needed a drink before he left for Tric. Tonight was his mother's final performance before she left the industry completely. He turned off his iPod and exited his room. He heard the shower in the bathroom and figured that Natalie was home, but then something caught his attention.

_**Who's got their claws    
In you my friend    
Into your heart I'll beat again    
Sweet like candy  
To my soul    
Sweet you rock and sweet you roll  
Lost for you  
I'm so lost for you**_

Jamie became confused. _Since when did Natalie know how to sing, or sing at all for that matter?_

_**You come crash into me    
And I come into you,    
I come into you    
In a boys dream    
In a boys dream**_

The shower ended and Jamie stood outside of the bathroom, confused.

_**Touch your lips just so I know    
In your eyes, love, it glows so    
I'm bare-boned and crazy for you    
When you come crash into me, baby    
And I come into you    
In a boys dream    
In a boys dream**_

Jamie stood out in the hallway listening to his sister's voice. It was beautiful and he didn't understand any of it. _If she knew about her voice, why didn't she say anything about it?_

_**Then I'm begging you    
To forgive me    
In my haste**_

Natalie opened the bathroom door and halted at the sight of her brother looking at her in confusion. She looked back at him in equal confusion. _Why the hell is he outside of the door?_ Jamie took a deep breath and let it out.

"How long have you known that you can sing?"

_**Shit…**_

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**A/N: **I think that, that was the shortest amount of time it ever took me to update…hmm…okay well this chapter goes to 23naley03 who helped out with a few things. And the songs used in this chapter are: (in order of appearance)

Then Slowly Grows – Bethany Joy Galeotti  
Crash Into Me – Dave Matthew's Band


	17. Devil Archerist

A/N: Hey guys

**A/N: **Hey guys. I know it's been a while, but I've been hitting the books kinda hard because of midterms. I figured I'd take it slow for a little while. I'm in my last year of HS and this year counts so…hope you enjoy it. Sorry to say that there are only 2-3 chapters left including this one and an epilogue before it ends BUT I have a few other story I ideas so check those out when I post them!

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_Jamie stood out in the hallway listening to his sister's voice. It was beautiful and he didn't understand any of it. If she knew about her voice, why didn't she say anything about it?_

_**Then I'm begging you    
To forgive me    
In my haste**_

_Natalie opened the bathroom door and halted at the sight of her brother looking at her in confusion. She looked back at him in equal confusion. Why the hell is he outside of the door? Jamie took a deep breath and let it out._

"_How long have you known that you can sing?"_

_**Shit…**_

"Nat? Hellooo?"

Natalie walked past Jamie and into her bedroom. He scrunched his eyebrows in confusion and followed her. He walked into her bedroom and saw putting her dirty clothes into the hamper by her bed. He watched her. _She completely ignored me._ Jamie walked into Natalie's room and sat on her bed. She sat at her desk and he waited for her to answer. She was typing on her laptop. She could feel Jamie's presence and she could feel his eyes burning holes into her back. She stopped typing and sighed. She turned to look at Jamie who raised his eyebrows in question.

"So? You gonna answer me?"

Natalie took a deep breath.

"It's not my fault. You…you weren't supposed to find out."

"Why not?"

"Cuz, the whole music thing is what you do. It's the one thing that distinguishes you from me."

Jamie smirked and laughed lightly.

"Nat. How long?"

"…" She remained silent for a few seconds and looked at Jamie in the eye. _I can't lie to him._

"Since we got back from L.A."

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Haley sat in her dressing room. She sat in the uncomfortable chair that was making her rear feel numb. Her nerves were getting to her. She closed her eyes and took deep breaths. The show began at 7:30 and it was now 7:06. She put her fore and middle fingers to her temples and rubbed them. She plugged her ears and began to sing her traditional mantra to calm her nerves down. She was a little bit worried as well. Natalie and Jamie had both told that they'd come and see her before she went on stage and they still hadn't arrived according to Lucas. She tried to calm herself, but between her nerves and worrying about her kids, she was stressing herself. She slid to the floor and laid her head back on the seat of the couch that was against one of the walls. The button on her jeans pushed against her belly button and she readjusted herself so she sat comfortably. She continued her mantra and she didn't hear the small knock on her door. The knock grew in sound and she became startled by the pound. She rose from her spot and opened the door. She looked who was in front of her.

"What are you doing here?"

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"Nat. How long?"

"…" She remained silent for a few seconds and looked at Jamie in the eye. _I can't lie to him._

"Since we got back from L.A."

"…Does anyone know?"

"Just Jake…Peyton and…Aunt Brooke."

Jamie just sat there. He looked at Natalie and she wore a look of sorrow on her face. He noticed it and questioned her look.

"Okay Nat. You said that music was my thing, but…basketball is yours."

"Yeah, and?"

"You don't stop me from playing it. So why would I stop you from playing music? You have every right to play music. As much a right as I do to play basketball. I mean yeah sure, you're better than me in basketball, but that shouldn't stop you from playing music. I play basketball and I don't stop you do I?"

"No, my heart does that for me."

"Very funny. Look, I don't care that you can sing."

"What?"

Natalie rose from her spot and walked to the opposite side of her room. Jamie's eyes followed her. She bent down so that his view of her was terminated. She extended her hand under her bed and dragged a large case out from under her bed. She lifted it and put it gently on her bed. Jamie stood to make room for the large case. She opened the clasps of the case that kept it closed. She then opened the case and exposed her pride and joy. There, right before Jamie's eyes was Natalie's acoustic just staring at him.

"Wow."

"Nice huh?"

"Yeah. You play too?"

"You could say that."

"Well…play something for me."

"No you too. Anyone who's found out had _always_ asked me to play something."

"Nat…c'mon. I'm your brother. You know I'd do it for you."

"Fine…but you can't use that again for a whole year. And if I suck, it's your fault, you asked for it."

He smirked. "I'll take the risk." He sat on her chair by her desk and crossed his arms. She positioned herself on her bed and tied her hair up to keep it out of her face. She positioned her fingers and began to strum the guitar.

_You're hiding from me now  
__There's something in the way that you're talking  __  
__Words don't sound right  __  
__But I hear them all moving inside you  __  
__Go, I'll be waiting when you call   _

_And Whenever I fall at your feet    
You let your tears rain down on me    
Whenever I touch your slow turning pain   _

_The finger of blame has turned upon itself    
And I'm more than willing to offer myself  
Do you want my presence or need my help    
Who knows where that might lead_

Natalie stopped playing. The song was a difficult one. If anyone had heard this song, they would know, as Jamie did, that the guitar was extremely complex and difficult. Sure, she had only played an excerpt of the song, but it was still beautifully played. Jamie's eyes had grown twice their regular circumference and he smiled.

"Oh my God. Okay…Nat, you _have_ to play."

Natalie sighed. "No!"

"Why not?"

"Because I don't feel comfortable playing by myself, let alone in front of people. No way."

"Oh, c'mon Nat."

"No Jamie. Just leave it be."

"Okay, tell you what, you beat me in something, other than basketball, and I leave it be. But, if I win, you play tonight."

"Fine. Poker, Texas Hold 'em."

"Yeah, you wish. I lost 250 to you last time…forget it you're too good at it."

"Well, what then?"

Jamie looked to the ceiling and began to wonder. _It's gotta be something she'll lose in. I got it._ Jamie looked at Natalie. There was one thing that Jamie was better than Natalie in and he was gonna use it against her.

"Rock band."

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"What are you doing here?"

"Oh, c'mon. Did you really think that the Keller wouldn't show up?"

"You weren't invited."

"No, but the Keller gets around and hears when his protégé is playing her last gig where she played her first."

"Your protégé? Need I remind you that you were the one who almost tore my marriage apart the first time?"

"No need for reminding, but you were my protégé. And Chris Keller knows what he did in the past and is willing to be forgiven."

Chris still stood in the doorway and Haley saw Nathan coming from behind him. _Perfect._ Nathan saw her and grinned, but when he saw Chris, his smirk fell.

"What are you doing here Keller? Shouldn't you be out front, scaring people off?"

"Hey, Nate. How's the family?" Chris gave his signature smirk that annoyed Nathan.

"Fine."

"Your girl still playing?"

Nathan tensed at Chris' question. He didn't know what Chris was getting at and quite frankly, he didn't want to know, fearing the worst, whatever it was.

"Playing?" Haley was confused. She looked at Nathan who, she noticed had a sullen look on his face.

"Music. She's got her mother's voice."

Nathan was fed up.

"I have no idea what you're talking about Keller and quite frankly neither do you."

"Chris Keller's out."

Chris walked away and Haley turned to look at Nathan, waiting for an explanation. Was he hiding something from her, again? Nathan looked at her and directed them into her change room.

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"Rock band."

"Rock band?"

"Yeah…"

"Name your terms."

"You win, you don't play. I win, you play…simple as that."

"Okay…rules."

"You play the drums and I'll do guitar. Higher score wins."

"Care to make it interesting?"

"How?"

"I'll play the guitar _and_ sing. You play the drums. The lower of my scores to your score."

"That's a lot to risk."

"It's your call."

"Deal, but I pick the song."

Jamie held his hand out for his little sister to shake. She smirked and grabbed his hand. They shook on it and they moved out of Natalie's room. Jamie led the way to the family room where Rock Band was set up. Natalie followed behind him, but went into the kitchen instead. She grabbed two bottles of water for her and Jamie. She headed into the family room, where she noticed that Jamie had set up the game and chosen a song for her. She put the microphone on the mic stand that they had and put the guitar strap on her shoulders, ready to play.

"Which version?"

"The first."

"Which song did you choose?"

"When You Were Young."

Natalie smirked and she chose expert for singing and hard for guitar. Jamie chose expert for the guitar and they began to play. Natalie kept hitting her notes perfectly, but Jamie didn't notice. He was too focused on not missing his own notes and he smiled when he heard his sister impersonate Brandon Flowers of the Killers.

_You sit there in your heartache  __  
__Waiting on some beautiful boy to  __  
__To save your from your old ways  __  
__You play forgiveness  __  
__Watch it now- here he comes   _

_He doesn't look a thing like Jesus  __  
__But he talks like a gentlemen  __  
__Like you imagined __  
__When you were young_

Natalie kept her focus on her notes and she didn't miss one at all. She was convinced that she was certain to lose. But, something came to her naturally. She had begun to break a sweat, but she didn't care. She hardly looked at the lyrics to keep up with her tones for the singing portion.

_Can we climb this mountain  __  
__I don't know  __  
__Higher now than ever before  __  
__I know we can make it if we take it slow  __  
__Let's take it easy  __  
__Easy now, watch it go   _

_We're burning down the highway skyline  __  
__On the back of a hurricane that started turning  __  
__When you were young  __  
__When you were young_

Natalie smiled. She was having fun with her brother. Jamie smiled and knew that he was gonna beat his sister. She had to let her talents shine and he could tell that when she sang, that she was totally into the music.

_And sometimes you close your eyes  __  
__And see the place where you __  
__Used to live  __  
__When you were young   _

_They say the devil's water, it ain't so sweet  __  
__You don't have to drink right now  __  
__But you can dip your feet  __  
__Every once in a little while_

Natalie went nuts with the guitar in her hand. She smiled as she only missed 3 notes in her entire solo. She grinned.

_You sit there in your heartache  __  
__Waiting on some beautiful boy to  __  
__To save you from your old ways  __  
__You play forgiveness  __  
__Watch it now here he comes   _

_He doesn't look a thing like Jesus  __  
__But he talks like a gentlemen  __  
__Like you imagined when you were young  __  
__When you were young_

Jamie was convinced that he had this deal in the bag. He only watched Natalie when he didn't have to pound the drums.

_I said he doesn't look a thing like Jesus  __  
__He doesn't look a thing like Jesus  __  
__But more than you'll ever know_

Natalie and Jamie finished the song with a bang. As soon as it ended Natalie took a swig of water from her bottle and wiped the small bead of sweat from her brow. Their scores were shown. Drums: 97 Guitar: 98 Vocals: 100...

Natalie won the bet.

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Haley stood in front of Nathan.

"What was he talking about Nathan?"

"I dunno Haley. I have no idea. But, I'm gonna find out."

Nathan scratched his head and Haley sniggered at his action. He was confused.

"What?"

"Nothing. You just scratched your head. It looked like you were trying to figure something out."

"I am."

"What?"

"I'm trying to figure out how I got so lucky with you and how is it that your parents ever let their daughter get away from them?"

"Okay, stop it."

"What?"

Nathan moved to her and when he got to her, he wrapped his arms around her waist. She wrapped her own around his neck and pulled him closer to her.

"Doing that. You're gonna make me look flustered before I go on stage."

"So? I wanna spend some time with my wife and calm down her nerves."

Nathan leaned down and kissed her neck. She leaned to side, giving him better access. He nuzzled his nose into her neck and could smell her hair, vanilla. She intoxicated him after so long. He began to whisper soothing thing in her ear. She smiled and funnily enough she relaxed. She closed her eyes and smirked at his voice.

"Sing to me."

"Isn't that your thing?"

"You know what I mean Nathan…"

"Do I?"

He smirked at her. Of course he knew what she was talking about. The night before she left for the tour, they were lying in bed after passionate bliss.

_Flashback_

_Nathan and Haley lay awake in their bed. Natalie and Jamie were asleep. They were fiddling with each other's fingers and they smiled. Haley was tearing a little bit. She didn't want to go, but she had a second chance at her dream and Nathan wanted her to chase it because, even though she denied it, he knew that she wanted to take it. The only thing, this time around, he would support her through and through. He lifted the both of them up, so that they sat. She sat in between his legs and he wrapped his arms around her waist. She leaned back and her head lay on his chest._

"_I love you." _

_She smiled._

"_I love you too…are you gonna miss me while I'm gone?"_

"_Always…"_

_Nathan kissed her bare shoulder and she sighed at his touch. He moved his mouth to her ear. He nibbled on her ear lobe and she tried to succumb a giggle and she was successful. She grinned and let out a moan. He moved his lips to just under her ear along her jaw line. He found her weak spot and then he began to sing, whispering his song in her ears._

_**When I'm with you  **__**  
**__**I'll make every second count  **__**  
**__**'Cause I miss you, whenever you're not around  **__**  
**__**when I kiss you  **__**  
**__**I still get butterflies  **__**  
**__**Years from now  **__**  
**__**I'll make every second count  **__**  
**__**When I'm with you**_

_End Flashback_

"Oh yeah, I do."

Nathan leaned down and kissed her on the mouth. He cupped her face in his hands and tugged on her upper lip. He massaged her lip with his tongue and she tried to keep control, but her emotions got the best of her and opened her mouth to let him in. One of his hands moved to her lower back, pulling her closer to him. As he was about deepen their kiss further, they were interrupted by a knock at the door. Nathan groaned, knowing that he had to leave her. He grabbed her hand and kissed it before they went to answer the door, but not before Haley fixed the makeup on her lips. There was a girl with a Tric shirt calling Haley, for it was her time to get on stage and rock the worlds of millions who had paid and gathered to hear her play her music. With one final kiss from Nathan, she went towards the stage. Before she was about to step foot on the stage, a voice stopped her.

"Hey." She turned toward the direction of the voice.

"Jamie!" Jamie moved forwards and pulled his mother in for a hug. He gave her the single rose that he held in his hand to her and she grinned.

"Thanks sweetie."

"Anything to let my mother know that she's appreciated…break a leg and kick some ass."

Haley smiled at Jamie. She then noticed that he was alone.

"Where's Nat?"

"Juice Bar."

Haley looked towards the bar and sure enough, there was Natalie talking to Molly from behind the juice bar. She smirked and shook her head. She looked at Jamie who, she noticed, was eyeing Molly.

"She's beautiful sweetie. Go for it."

"What?"

"Molly. I can see the look you give her. It's the look your father gave me when I was your age."

"What look is that?"

Haley smirked and walked onto the stage. She winked at him, leaving him in confusion. He watched from the right wing.

Natalie, who was at the juice bar, noticed that her mother had begun to play.

_This day probably tore me apart  
And I didn't even know it  
This day probably ate up my heart  
And I got nothing to show for it  
Why, why is it so, so, so easy to compromise_

_This fog is like strawberry pie  
But it keeps you keep on reaching  
Here I am just watching me die  
Just uh watching death that uh coming up  
Coming up creeping  
Why, why don't you start  
Calling me ungrateful  
Oh yeah…_

Natalie made her way away from Molly when she noticed Jamie coming towards them. She smirked at the two of them and decided to leave them alone. She walked toward the stage.

_Keep me away  
I've got no will to fight  
Keep me away  
I'm running to the light  
Cuz I don't wanna lose your way  
With these devil, devil archerist_

Natalie made her way backstage and walked towards stage left and stood in the wing. She watched her mother rock the house and she smiled. She looked at the crowd from the wing and smiled sadly. _You had to beat Jamie in Rock Band right?_ The little voice in her head wouldn't silence.

_My soul here a million to one  
Says I didn't even see it  
Looking up looking down at my soul  
Looking everywhere but don't know  
Where the help is come, coming from  
Why, why do I seem broken stumbling  
Everytime I can hear_

She crossed her arms and kept her gaze on her mother.

Nathan looked at Haley from the bar and smiled. _She's perfect._ He could so easily get lost in her, **all** of her. Her eyes, her lips, her voice, her character…just her. He smirked at her and took a deep breath knowing that when this was all over, he got to be the one to kiss her.

_Keep me away  
I've got no will to fight  
Keep me away  
I'm running to the light  
Cuz I don't wanna lose your way  
With these devil, devil archerist_

Natalie looked at her mother and smirked. She felt someone come up behind her and figured that it was one of her family members. She looked at the one next to her and scrunched her eyebrows. It was none of her family members.

_Come on now  
Keep me away  
I've got no will to fight  
Keep me away  
I'm running to the light_

Hale sang her song and the people watching her were screaming. She could barely hear her own voice. She could see people singing along with her and it made her feel good. She saw Nathan from behind the bar looking at her smirking. She winked in his direction, although some people probably figured she directed it at them.

_Keep me away  
I've got no will to fight  
Keep me away  
I'm running to the light_

Haley directed her attention to the left side of the stage. She noticed Natalie watching her with someone behind her. She saw the guy standing beside Natalie and had to do a double take because the boy that stood behind her daughter looked like Chris.

_Cuz I don't wanna lose your way_

_Ha, I don't wanna lose your way_

_No, I don't wanna lose your way_

"Matthew Keller."

"In the flesh. So tell me are we gonna do a re-enactment of San Francisco or not?"

_With these devil, devil, devil archerist_

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**A/N:** Okay so…an UPDATE…not the strongest or most powerful chapter, but not bad for having finished it in…(looks at clock on laptop)…6 hours. Songs used in this chapter in order of appearance:

Crash Into Me – Dave Matthew's Band  
Fall At Your Feet – Jesse Cook  
When You Were Young – The Killers (P.S I am in no way afflicted with Rock band and/or the creators)  
When I'm With You – Faber Drive  
Devil Archerist – Bethany Joy Galeotti

PPPPLLLLLEEEEEEASEEE Leave a review if you read…if I don't get at least 14 reviews for this chapter, it'll take LOOOOONG to UD because when I get a flood of reviews, my fingers just type like crazy and my brain overflows with ideas!!


	18. Q & A

A/N: Hey guys

**A/N: **Hey guys! Alright so I started writing my next Naley fic. A lot of you seemed to be interested in Matt and I'm glad at that…means you guys will come back which is a good thing. So without further ado I'll get on with the story and hopefully you guys will leave LOTS of reviews. I like getting them and I love reading them, they always bring a smile to my face.** ALSO **if there's something that you'd like to happen, just lemme know and I'll try to get it in there…

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"_Matthew Keller."_

"_In the flesh. So tell me are we gonna do a re-enactment of San Francisco or not?"_

_**With these devil, devil, devil archerist**_

"What are you doing here?"

"The Keller men are in town. How are you Nat?"

Natalie turned to look at Matt with an annoyed glare.

"Pissed off now that you're near me."

Matt smirked and tilted his head a little.

"Still sarcastic. Matt doesn't know why you're so mean to him."

"You still refer to yourself in third person narrative? That's just sad."

"No. What's sad is that you're still watching from the wing. What happened to the girl I met in San Francisco who wasn't afraid of fear?"

"She died. That was me drunk."

"Matt knows. And he also knows that he means a lot to you. He was your first kiss after all…"

Matt wrapped an arm around Natalie's shoulders. She had her arms crossed and when she felt his arm o her shoulders. A look of repulsion and disgust fell upon her face and she swatted Matt's arm away from her body.

"Get your greasy paws off of me. You wish you were my first kiss. I was 13 when I had my first kiss. In case you forgot that was last year."

"Ooh. Feisty. She's back!"

"No, I just prefer you not touching me."

"Do I make you nervous?"

"Yeah so nervous that I want to beat you and your third narrative self to a pulp."

Matthew looked scared. Sure, he was cocky, but he also had a talent, as his father. Natalie turned her attention back to the stage. Haley was speaking to the crowd who had, surprisingly, calmed down to hear her speak.

"Thanks you guys! WOW! Uh, so as you all know this is my _last _show. So I figured before I get on with everything I just wanted to say something to you. Thanks so much to all of you have supported me in the past 3 years. It means so much to me that you've been there and I thank you. You guys rock!"

There was uproar in the club and she giggled. Natalie stood there with Matt looking at her mother doing what she loved, what they both loved. Matt looked at Natalie and noticed the look on her face. He placed his hand on her shoulder, forcing her to look at him.

"You gotta do what you love. If you don't, you'll regret it." Natalie knew that he was right, but she would never admit that. She looked at Matt and gave him an unreadable expression. She sighed. "Nat, remember San Francisco?"

"I was drunk and Molly and I snuck out of the hotel, so whatever it is you're going to say to use against me, forget it."

"You sang with me didn't you?" _Wow, he's not referring to himself in third person…big breakthrough for Matt._

"So what?"

"So, I remember the look on your face in that karaoke bar when we sang together. It was the look of passion. You have a passion for music and you can't deny yourself that." Natalie only listened to her mother continuing.

"Now as much as I love you guys, there are others who I have to thank…my family. Three of the most important people are in this very place. My son Jamie, who has inherited my musical pedigree, he was one of the best things that ever happened to me and I love him so much. Natalie…" Haley looked to her left and saw her in the wing. Natalie gave her a small smile. "She's right here, actually…haha. Well, what can I say? She's stubborn as hell, but has the biggest heart of anyone I know and I'm proud to call her my daughter. Thanks so much for letting me back in sweetie. Without you, I may as well have cancelled tonight." Haley saw Natalie wink and mouth an **I love you**. Haley smiled. "Finally, my husband, Nathan. He's the attractive one behind the bar." Many heads turned in Nathan's direction and he smirked in embarrassment. Haley smirked. "Yeah ladies, he's taken. He's been my support system for the longest time. It's been 22 years and I still put up with him…nah. How he's put up with me, I'll never know. Without him, I have no idea where I'd be. Probably lying dead in a gutter somewhere. He's my always and my forever, always and forever. Now, this next song is for the three of them. It's a remake, which you all can hear on the final album that comes out next Wednesday and the album is called **Grief & Happiness.** It's based on the past three years of my life and it's solely dedicated to my beautiful family and if all of them could come and stand with me, I'd appreciate it!"

Before Natalie knew it, Matt pushed her out of the wing, making her known to the crowd. She glared back at Matt who stood in the wing with a smirk of victory on his face. She swore under her breath _Effing idiot _and walked towards Haley. Haley noticed her and Haley smiled. Haley put the microphone back on the stand and Natalie hugged her as soon as she got to Haley. Natalie shut her eyes to keep herself from crying. Haley whispered a question in Natalie's ear and then let go of Natalie when she felt Jamie's hand on her shoulder. Natalie heard her mother and her stomach dropped, but chose to ignore it and looked to the crowd and noticed the thousands of faces that she had never seen before. She looked behind the bar and noticed her father was no longer there. Jamie stood beside Natalie and draped an arm around her shoulder. He leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Is it everything you thought it would be?" Natalie looked at Jamie and gave an unreadable expression. The two of them noticed Nathan coming onto the stage. He waved to the crowd and hugged Haley. He wrapped his arms around her waist and she buried her head into his neck and sniffed his intoxicating scent. He caressed her hair. When they pulled out of their embrace, the crowd began to chant.

_Kiss him, kiss him, kiss him…_

Nathan looked at Haley and she blushed a little. They looked at Jamie and Natalie who wore expressions of disgust on their faces. They shook their heads in disagreement, begging their parents not to do anything that may cause them to vomit. Nathan and Haley looked at each other and smiled. The chants of the crowd continued to grow and the two of them looked to the crowd and just laughed. Nathan looked at Haley and watched her as she smiled. Her smile caused him to laugh a little. _This is how life is supposed to be._ Nathan leaned down and gave her a tiny peck on the lips. The crowd went nuts, only for a few milliseconds. Nathan wouldn't give them a make-out session on the stage. That was something he was saving for him and his wife in the comfort of their own home. He left Haley, only letting go of her hand when the distance was too far. He stood in between his two kids and put an arm around each of their shoulders, pulling them to him. Haley grabbed the microphone and looked at them. A strumming of a guitar filled Tric and she began to sing.

_Life is beautiful    
We live until we die     
When you run into my arms    
We steal a perfect moment    
Let the monsters see you smile    
Let them see you smiling    
Do I hold you too tightly?    
When will the hurt kick in?_  

**Haley looked at Nathan as she sang. That part of the song was directed to him and he smirked letting her know that he knew. She winked at him and he continued to stand in his spot with his kids and watched his wife do her thing.**

_Life is beautiful  
But it's complicated    
We barely make it    
We don't need to understand    
There are miracles, miracles  _

**Natalie and Jamie looked at each other and then looked out to the crowd. They sent their signature smirk to the fans and they began to laugh.**

_Yeah, life is beautiful    
Our hearts, they beat and break     
When you run away from harm    
Will you run back into my arms    
Like you did when you were young?    
Will you come back to me?    
I will hold you tightly    
When the hurting kicks in_

**Haley looked at her kids…teens…adults. They grew up so fast and when she sang that verse, she began to tear a little bit. **_**When you run away from harm, will you run back into my arms? Like you did when you were young? Will you come back to me?**_** Natalie and Jamie knew that it was directed at them. They smirked as she smiled at them.**

_Life is beautiful  
But it's complicated    
We barely make it    
We don't need to understand    
There are miracles, miracles  _

**When the instrumental bit came, Haley walked over to her family and embraced all of them in a hug. For a moment they were all together. "I love you guys." Nathan, Natalie and Jamie all smiled at her as she turned to sing again.**

_Stand where you are    
We let all these moments pass us by_

_It's amazing where I'm standing     
There's a lot that we can give    
This is ours just for the moment    
There's a lot that we can give_

Haley finished her song. The lights went down and the crowd went wild. Haley, from the small amount of vision she had, walked over to her family. She put her hand in Nathan's hand and brought them into the wing where her costume crew stood waiting for her.

"So?"

"Brilliance."

"Awesome."

"Amazing."

"Good song choice?"

"Great song choice Hales. Well, we're gonna get back to where we have to be. I'll be watching the whole time and…" He leaned down to whisper in her ear. "…When we get home, we'll have our own little private after party…" Haley blushed and smirked. Nathan kissed her hand that was in his. She pulled him to her and kissed him. Natalie and Jamie watched with disgust.

"…Okay, I just swallowed a little bit of throw up. Mom, dad, thanks for the show? And Jamie? I'll see you later. You're still coming right?"

"Yeah."

"Okay. Bye parents. And mom?" Haley looked at her and smiled. "The answer to your question is, yes." Haley looked at her and raised her eyebrows in surprise. Natalie nodded and gave the tiniest smirk possible. She turned on her heel and became part of the crowd. She walked to where Molly sat with Daniel. She sat on the bar stool and looked at Tom who had poured her a sprite with lime and no ice. Molly looked at her.

"So best friend…you rocked the house…"

"That would be my mother."

"Yeah, but you were up there with her and people screamed so loud when they saw you emerge from the wing."

_Honey I just can't  
Get around it anymore  
You make me feel like  
Home is where you are  
And honey I just can't  
Run around it every morn  
It's time that I believe that  
Home is where you are_

Haley's next song had the people screaming. Natalie only looked to the crowd and laughed a little. Daniel looked at his best friend and smiled. _She's finally happy, maybe now I can be too._ Molly looked at Natalie. Natalie turned back to her best friends.

"Happy Birthday Molly. And don't plan on going anywhere after because you are sticking around for open Mic **and **we're taking you out to a midnight movie because Jamie and I don't wanna be home."

"OOOH! WE CAN HAVE A SLEEPOVER!" Molly became excited instantly. Natalie looked at Daniel and only smiled and shook her head.

_I've never been to  
Half of these places  
But your postcard collection makes me crave  
A little space  
A little way's out of the city  
To the grace of  
Another land  
Another tongue  
Another time_

Molly noticed a familiar face walking towards them. She groaned on the inside. _Why does he have to be here?_ Natalie turned her head to see who was coming in their direction. She let out a sigh of frustration. Matthew Keller sat right next to her.

"Miss me?"

"You wish. Do you love to annoy me?"

"Matt Keller doesn't annoy the ladies, he makes them love him."

Natalie began to breathe heavily, as if she couldn't breathe at all. Molly and Daniel ran to her aid.

"Are you okay best friend?"

"Did Matt Keller take your breath away?"

"No. I think she's suffocating from the size of your ego." Molly giggled as did Natalie and they high-fived each other. Matt's face dropped by the insult. Daniel smirked and decided to stand beside Natalie to protect her, not that she needed it, because she was tough, just in case she needed him. Matt took his seat again and sipped his drink.

_Oh, will you wait til I get back home again  
Cuz I'm willing to give it another chance  
Only you baby keep me up at night  
Sometimes, crazy's alright_

Molly dragged Daniel to help her find Jamie and, reluctantly, left Natalie alone with Matt. Natalie used the excuse that "she had to get back to work" to keep her from having to move too far from where she was. She got up from her spot and walked behind the bar. She stood in front of Matt when she noticed the look of sadness and disappointment he had.

"Dude, is your ego that bruised up?"

"No, I'm just…thinking."

"About?"

"You."

Natalie glared at him. "No! Not like that, I swear. You made your feelings perfectly clear."

"So why are you thinking about me then?"

"Why won't you shine? You have an amazing voice and an even better hand with that guitar of yours. Why not show it off?"

"I don't have time for this." She began to walk off. "It's cuz you're scared isn't it? You're scared that you'll end up like the woman on that stage." Matt pointed his thumb in Haley's direction. Natalie looked at her mother. A small tear formed in her eye, but no one noticed because of the dim lighting.

_You know we've got to find a way to get past all the implications  
Every situation, every complication that we've come from  
Love is all we have  
I will run myself in circles here without you_

"You're afraid that you'll love it so much and abandon your family for it. Nat, I know your voice. I know the power you have to make people feel alive and it's all because of the beautiful voice that you have. When we met in San Francisco, I thought I saw something in you, something that made me believe in myself enough to pursue this path even though my father told me I wasn't cut out for it. You have that kind of voice Nat." Matt put the money for his drink on the bar. "You have to believe that you won't end up like her." Matt began to walk away, but Natalie's voice stopped him.

"You're wrong Matt. She didn't abandon us, she just went after her dream."

"So then why can't you go after yours?" At that, he walked away, leaving Natalie alone with her thoughts and her mother's singing voice.

_Let me feel, I don't care if I breakdown  
Let me fall, even if I hit the ground  
And if I...  
Cry a little  
Die a little  
At least I know I lived, just a little..._

Natalie sighed and moved back to drying off the few glasses that she had to finish drying. She looked up from her spot when she heard the yelling of a drunken fan. She giggled to herself and shook her head.

"No what could you possibly be laughing about?"

Natalie looked up and was met with a pair of hazel eyes. She smiled when she saw Daniel take a seat in the chair that Matt had recently vacated.

"Drunk and screaming fans."

"Ah yes. You heard Molly huh?"

"That was Molly?!"

"Yeah!" He laughed.

"I take you guys found Jamie?"

"Yeah. I had to get away from them."

"Do I wanna know why?"

"No…" Daniel looked at Natalie and smirked. Natalie automatically realized what Daniel meant and she instantly became disgusted.

"Oh, C'MON! That's my brother."

"Sorry. I guess Molly wanted Jamie for her birthday."

"No. No! NO!"

"Sorry."

"I may throw up."

"Why would you throw up?"

Daniel and Natalie looked and saw Molly and Jamie, her hand in his. The sound of her brother's voice brought her to face him. She almost gagged on the spot. Jamie noticed her facial expression.

"What?" Natalie laughed.

"You've got lipstick on your face man." Embarrassed, he wiped the lipstick from his face. Molly giggled, but turned a bright shade of pink.

_Dancing where the stars go blue  
Dancing where the evening fell  
Dancing in my wooden shoes  
In a wedding gown_

Natalie looked to the stage and saw her mother singing a duet with Chris Keller, Matt's father. She began to think back to that night in San Francisco when she and Molly snuck out of their hotel to meet Matt in a karaoke bar across the street from the hotel that they were staying at. If they were to get caught, it would be suspension for them and "Bye, Bye Cali."

_Flashback_

_16 year olds Natalie and Molly had just escaped from their hotel and began to walk down the street and came across a brick wall. This was the place that Matt had told them about. They went around to the back door, as they were instructed where Matt stood waiting for them. They walked to him and he looked at his watch._

"_Matt Keller thought you two had stiffed him. C'mon."_

_They walked through the back door. The place was in full swing. He led them to a table and left them there for a little bit while he went to purchase a few drinks. Molly and Natalie looked in the place that they were in. It was packed with people. The ones on stage were clearly hammered and the pair of them sniggered at the ones on stage's attempt to stand up straight, let alone sing a song. Matt returned with 3 drinks and 4 shots of tequila._

"_4 shots?" Molly looked at Matt confused._

"_Yeah, one for you, one for Natalie and 2 for me."_

_Natalie, Molly and Matt all downed their shots. Molly almost gagged at the taste and Natalie just sat there as if she had a tolerance for the stuff all along. She then grabbed the rum and coke, which was more rum than coke, and downed it as if it were a glass of water. Matt looked at her, surprised. He had never seen anyone consume alcohol so quickly._

_1 Hour later_

_The place was clearing out. There were few people left in the place and Molly was laughing her head off. Natalie had just told Matt about a funny moment that Molly had. _

"_OOH! You know what would be fun much?"_

"_What?"_

"_If you and N-Na-NIDILIE would sing!"_

"_Natalie sings?" Matt looked at Natalie and raised his eyebrows. _

"_In the shower…haha…shower…that's a funny word…SH-OW-ER!"_

"_Nidilie are you drunk?"_

"_NO!..." Natalie leaned into Molly to whisper into her ear. "…I'm so drunk…shh." Natalie put a finger to her lips and missed. It went to her forehead. Matt shook his head._

"_Can I hear you sing?"_

_Natalie all of a sudden became silent and serious. She rolled her eyes and sighed. "Fiiiine…__**Lying in my bed I hear the clock tick and think of you.**__"_

"_Okay stop. Come with Matt." Matt yanked Natalie out of her chair and left Molly with the bartender who had cut her off and promised, with the help of Matt's money, to take care of her. Natalie only followed Matt and was too intoxicated to notice what was happening. The next thing she knew, she was on a stage in front of bout 60 people. She waved to all of them drunk._

"_Any requests?" Matt whispered in Natalie's ear._

"_When the stars go blue."_

_Matt turned to the MC and told him the song. _

"_Ladies and gentlemen please welcome Matt Keller and Natalie Scott." There was a small applause and Natalie heard the music come on._

"…_Haley Scott sings this song." Matt nodded and she became serious. It was as if the song made her sober up and she began to sing._

_**Dancin' where the stars go blue  
Dancin' where the evening fell  
Dancin' in my wooden shoes  
In a wedding gown**_

_End of Flashback_

_Where do you go when you're lonely  
Where do you go when the stars go blue_

The song finished and applause erupted. Natalie clapped and cheered along with the fans and she could hear Molly shrieking and yelling. Chris waved to the crowd and walked off of the stage and headed to the back.

"Okay guys. You've been all so great. Well, I guess that this is where I'm supposed to say goodbye. This final song, I sang when Tric held the "Friends with Benefit" concert and I wrote it. At the time, I was in a pretty hard place. I was forced into the light of truth and I ended up writing this song because of that. So, I just wanted to thank all of you and it's almost 11:00, which means open mic starts in half an hour, so if anyone has any talents that they wanna let shine, my advice is to let them." Haley looked at Natalie and Natalie noticed. She felt the butterflies in her stomach and she tore her gaze from her mother. Matt looked at Natalie and raised his eyebrows as if to tell her that he told her so.

_I never promised you a ray of light  
I never promised there'd be sunshine every day  
I gave you everything I have  
The good the bad_

_Why do you put me on a pedestal?_

_I'm so up high that I can't see the ground below_

_So help me down you've got it wrong_

_I don't belong there_

Nathan watched Haley with his signature smirk plastered on his face. He leaned against the bar, stretching his neck to overlook the tops of the fans' to see his beautiful and talented wife. Haley connected her eyes with his and he felt that surge of happiness and he felt like he was in high school again. He stopped breathing; she could still take his breath away.

_One thing is clear  
I wear a halo  
I wear a halo when you look at me  
But standing from here  
You wouldn't say so  
You wouldn't say so if you were me  
And I, I just want to love you  
Oh I, I just want to love you_

Jamie watched his mother and danced along with the beat, nodding his head as Haley's voice filled his ears. He smiled when he saw just how passionate she was about the music playing. He saw the same passion in his sister when he heard her sing. _**If only.**_ He had his arm wrapped around Molly's waist and he looked at her. She smirked. He leaned down kissed her gently. She giggled.

_I always said that I would make mistakes  
I'm only human and that's my saving grace  
I'll fall as hard as I try  
So don't be blinded  
See me as I really am  
I have flaws and sometimes I even sin  
So pull me from that pedestal  
I don't belong there_

Natalie stood in between Daniel and Matt. They were staring each other down and it scared her a little bit. But she was drawn away by the verse that her mother was currently singing. She mouthed the lyrics as they came. _**I have flaws and sometimes I even sin.**_

_One thing is clear  
I wear a halo  
I wear a halo when you look at me  
But standing from here  
You wouldn't say so  
You wouldn't say so if you were me  
And I, I just want to love you  
Oh I, I just want to love you_

_Like to think that you know me  
But in your eyes  
I am something above me  
That's only in your mind  
Only in your mind  
Only in your mind_

Peyton was watching Haley when she saw a familiar bob of brown hair enter with their guitar case. She did a double take and noticed who it was. She rushed over to them and smiled and yelled in surprise when they met.

_I wear a, I wear a, I wear a halo  
One thing is clear  
I wear a halo  
I wear a halo when you look at me  
But standing from here  
You wouldn't say so  
You wouldn't say so if you were me  
And I, I just want to love you  
Oh I, I just want to love you_

"Mia?"

"Hey Peyton!"

"What are you doing here?"

"Open mic at 11:30. Figured I'd say hey."

"Missed you. How's everything?"

"Great."

"Good. Come, I'll show you where you can put that down and we can talk."

_I just wanna love you  
Hey Hey Hey Hey...Hey Hey Halo  
Hey Hey Hey Hey...Hey Hey Halo  
Hey Hey Hey Hey...Hey Hey Halo  
Hey Hey Hey Hey...Hey Hey Halo_

Haley ended the song and the house lights went out. It was black. The cheers of the crowd were still strong and soon the house lights came back up. People started to file out of the club, while others decided to stay and check out who was there for open mic. Jamie and Natalie went backstage to see their mother. They walked up to her door.

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Nathan left his position at the bar as soon as Haley began to sing the final part of Halo. He took off to her change room and entered it. It was empty, only her guitar case on the floor and a few items of make-up on the table where the mirror stood. There were the flowers he got for her with the card that he wrote. He picked it up and read it. _I'm so corny. _He read the note that he wrote to his wife.

_**Hales,  
I can see the look on your face as you're reading this. I can't begin to tell you just how happy I am that you're finally home. I love you so much and when you say that I make you feel like you can reach the sky, I'm much higher when I'm with you. I feel like I'm 3 steps above heaven. Many have said that they've seen angels, but I've seen you and known you and loved you and that's more than enough. Good luck tonight, I know you'll be great. I love you so much.**_

_**Nathan**_

He put down the note as he heard the doorknob turn. He turned around quickly and smiled when he saw her enter the room. She became startled when she saw him; he had caught her off guard.

"Hey."

"How awesome was my girl?"

She smirked as they walked over to each other. He pulled her into a hug and lifted her off of the ground.

"Ah!" He twirled her around and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He stopped and dipped backwards only slightly so that she fell to him. He pressed his lips to her for a short and sweet kiss. They broke apart and Haley smiled softly. Nathan removed the hair that fell in front of her face and placed it behind her ear.

"Thanks for the flowers. They're beautiful."

"I figured that you could use a smile."

She giggled and her smile grew even wider. He held one hand on her leg and the other rested on her cheek. "I love you." He kissed her again, more forcefully this time. She massaged his bottom lip with her own lips as he licked her top lip as his lips latched onto it. She smirked into his kiss and he smiled at her reaction. He let her down gently and she stood on her own feet. She wrapped her arms around his neck and walked his backwards towards the couch. He fell onto the couch and sat. Haley followed him, their lips never leaving each other's. Nathan moved onto his back as Haley lay on top of him. His hands were in her hair, while hers went to cup his face.

"OH GOD! EW! I'm BLIND!"

Nathan and Haley quickly broke apart and stumbled to their feet. Jamie stood there with Natalie, repulsed by the visual that he had just witnessed. Of course, he left it up to his sister to be the loud one.

"Sorry."

"By all means, couldn't you have locked the door?"

"Sorry. What's up?"

"We…you do it Jamie, I have to recover still…"

"Congrats." Jamie walked towards his mother and hugged her. She threw her arms around his tall frame and smiled. "Thanks." She released him and noticed Natalie at the door, leaning against it. She was fumbling with the lock.

"No, no. It works." Haley walked to her and touched her shoulder.

"Sorry." Natalie smiled and hugged her.

"Congrats."

"Thanks."

"So, are you guys gonna stick around?" Jamie looked at Natalie and answered his father's question.

"Well, we were gonna wait until about quarter to and then we're taking Molly out for her birthday. We won't be coming home."

"We're sleeping at Molly's."

"Who's **we**?"

Natalie answered. "Me, Daniel and Jamie."

"No, no."

"Why not dad? She's his friend too."

"They looked a little too cozy to be just friends."

"Dad, so what? She's my girlfriend. You used to sneak into mom's room when you were 16."

Jamie played the "you were younger" card and to his surprise, Nathan bought it. Jamie smiled in thanks and he and Natalie decided to head out the door.

"Natalie?" Natalie turned around to answer her mother's call to her. "Could I talk to you for a minute?" Natalie nodded. "Sure." Nathan and Jamie left the room and Natalie stood in front of the door, waiting for Haley to speak.

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Jamie and Nathan went in opposite directions. Jamie walked down the hallway with his hands in his pockets. He could hear the chatters of people waiting for open mic to begin. He stopped and looked through the wing. People were looking in the direction of the stage for any sign of someone coming out to perform. He then looked at the stage. _Why won't she just play?_

"Can I help you?" Jamie turned around instantly and the sound of the voice. His eyes widened when he noticed who it was that spoke to him.

"Mia?"

"Yeah…and you are?"

"James Scott."

"Oh wow. Little Jamie. Haven't seen you in a while. You grew up."

"Thanks. Uh, wow. Sorry, my sister won't believe this…"

"Sister?"

"Oh, yeah. Natalie she uh…she's a fan. She loves your music…anyways I was um, hoping…"

"What?"

"My sister. She…she has an amazing talent. She inherited my mom's musical pedigree as did I, but she won't do anything about it. And I know that she wants it, but she refuses to do anything because she's convinced that it's the one thing that sets us apart. Even though there are a few who do know of it."

"And?"

"And I was wondering if you could let her know that it's okay for her to chase it."

"Why me?"

"Because she idolizes you. And I know that if you were to do this, she'd try it at least."

Mia looked at Jamie…

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Haley looked at Natalie and smirked. She nodded her head to have Natalie sit with her on the couch. Natalie walked over and sat beside her mother. Haley grabbed Natalie's hand and sighed. She grabbed her daughter and hugged her.

"Mom? Are you okay?" Haley looked at Natalie and had a small tear in her eye, threatening to fall.

"You said yes."

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**A/N: **Okay so there u go…a new chapter…what is Haley talking about?? Well, you'll just have to leave a review and find out when I UD…THIS is for 23naley03…it is her birthday and so I decided to dedicate this chapter to her as I have done in the past..BUT its her birthday so HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! PLEASE REVIEW guys…I keep getting less and less reviews and I'm beginning to think people hate this fic...hopefully my next fic will have more success with you…NO kids in the next one…I promise! So PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW! P.S: Songs used in this chapter in order of appearence:

Devil Archerist - Bethany Joy Galeotti  
Life is Beautiful – Vega4  
Songs In My Pocket – Bethany Joy Galeotti  
Crazy Girls - Bethany Joy Galeotti  
Lonliness is Better Near Now - Bethany Joy Galeotti  
Let Me Fall - Bethany Joy Galeotti  
When the Stars Go Blue - Bethany Joy Galeotti & Tyler Hilton  
Halo - Bethany Joy Galeotti


	19. It's Only Life

A/N: Hey guys

**A/N:** Hey guys. Thanks for all the reviews…ah yes…THE QUESTION…what was Haley's question? If you read, you just might find out lol…thanks a lot, your reviews mean so much to me! P.S This is the second last chapter BEFORE the epilogue…

**WARNING: Last scene of chapter is rated T or M…whichever you prefer.**

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"_Mom? Are you okay?" Haley looked at Natalie and had a small tear in her eye, threatening to fall._

"_You said yes."_

"I said yes?" Natalie tried to play off as dumb. The truth was, Natalie had no idea why she had answered her mother's question. She was scared at what her mother's reaction might be. Haley kept her gaze on Natalie, not blinking once. She wanted to get the truth from her daughter. _Just like Nathan with the secrets._ It wasn't the most admirable trait, but she had inherited it from her father and she was proud to have something from him other than his looks.

"To my question."

"What question?" Natalie scrunched her eyebrows. Haley sighed.

"Natalie."

"Fine!"

Natalie looked at her mother and stayed silent. She tried to find the right words to explain herself, but none came to mind. That moment when her mother asked her that question was still fresh in her mind.

_Haley put the microphone back on the stand and Natalie hugged her as soon as she got to Haley. Natalie shut her eyes to keep herself from crying. Haley whispered a question in Natalie's ear. __**Is it true that you sing?**__ Haley then let go of Natalie when Haley felt Jamie's hand on her shoulder. Natalie heard her mother and her stomach dropped, but chose to ignore it and looked to the crowd and noticed the thousands of faces that she had never seen before._

Natalie looked back at Haley and sighed. She didn't know what to say. How was she supposed to cover up what she had revealed? _Easy, you don't. You tell the truth._ She hated when the wiser side of herself interrupted her thoughts. She noticed that Haley's hand still held on tightly to hers. Natalie sighed and bit on her bottom lip. Haley noticed and grinned.

"What?"

"Nothing…so?"

"Okay…so I said yes. It's not a big deal."

"It's not?"

Natalie looked at Haley and sighed.

"No it's not. Hardly anyone knows and it'll stay that way."

"Why?"

"Why? I have a question **why** does everyone ask me that? It never stops."

"I'm just trying to figure out why a talent would go wasted."

"You think I have talent? You have no idea what I sound like. How do you know I have talent?" Natalie was beginning to get upset.

"Well, there's a certain Chris Keller who knows…you shouldn't trust him with secrets, they're bound to come out and…when I was unconscious, I had this dream where Keith took me to this, uh, well it was Tric, but it was different. You sang…and your voice was angelic…and Keith said that it's the part of me that you take with you everywhere…"

"Keith died when you were in high school. And you were unconscious, so it was just a dream. I sing to my showerhead. And like you said, Chris Keller's not to be trusted. So why do you?"

"I can tell when he's lying. He wasn't lying when he asked your father if you still sang."

_Great. It's official. I'm screwed. _"Oh."

"I know that you have a talent and you have to get it out there."

"How do you know that I'm talented? You haven't been around for the past 2 years." Natalie regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth. _Good job dumbass._

Haley swallowed the lump that formed in her throat and squinted at the pain that Natalie's words inflicted upon her gut.

"S-sor-"

"No. It's okay. You're right. What would I know?"

Haley got up and walked out of the room. Natalie hung her head in disgust with herself. She cracked her knuckles and then slid off of the couch to the floor. _What the hell is your problem? You really are an idiot. Why do you __**always**__ have to push people away? Why can't you just let __**someone **__break down your walls? _Natalie became angrier and punched the black tiled floor. She screamed in pain and noticed that her healing knuckles were once again open. She got up and ran to the small bathroom on the opposite side of the room. She ran her hand under cold water and grabbed the small towel that hung on the back of the door. She bent down and looked under the sink for the first aid kit that she knew would be there. She unzipped the zipper that surrounded the perimeter as the towel in her hand began to get soaked with her blood. She unwound the gauze and wrapped it comfortably around her hand when she removed the towel. She then gently wrapped a cloth around her hand to keep it in place. She tried to move her hands normally and was successful, despite the pain. She exited the bathroom after she cleaned up the mess that she made. She noticed the guitar that sat in the guitar case on the floor. She picked it up and put it on the couch that she had previously vacated. _Mom's guitar._ She ran her slender gingers over the strings. She plucked a few and closed her eyes at the sound. She picked it up and noticed the small words in the top right-hand corner on the back.

_**Always & Forever – 05/11/03  
A Tide in the Affairs of Men – 06/13/04  
Nibs – 10/28/08**_

She grazed her fingers over the engravement. She recognized all three dates and their significance. She smirked at the last one…it was the only one without some encodement or secret meaning. She put the guitar back in its place. _She was never there, but she still cared._ She left the room and walked down the extended hallway and unknowingly walked and settled herself in one of the wings. She looked onto the stage and saw Matt singing with his guitar. He took notice of her and when he sang, he looked at her, never tearing his gaze from her. As if he was trying to tell her what he thought.

_So what, so I've got a smile on    
But it's hiding the quiet superstitions in my head    
Don't believe me    
Don't you dare believe me  
When I say I've got it down_

"Can I help you?" Natalie turned around and noticed a familiar face questioning her. Natalie's eyes widened.

"Wow…Mia. Wow, I'm a big fan."

"And you are?" Mia stuck out her hand, which Natalie almost immediately grabbed.

"Natalie Scott." A wave of realization washed over Mia.

"Nice to meet you. You gonna hang around?"

"Yeah, the wing is kinda of my place."

"Why?"

"I don't belong on the stage."

_Everybody is just a stranger but    
That's the danger in going my own way    
I guess it's the price I have to pay    
Still "everything happens for a reason"    
Is no reason not to ask yourself_

_If you are living it right  
Are you living right  
Are you living right  
Why  
Tell me why  
Why  
Why Georgia why?_

Matt strummed the final notes on the song before a soaring applause occurred in the place. Matt waved and thanked everyone before stepping off the stage. He passed Natalie and raised his eyebrows in her direction, not even stopping to speak to her or try to convince her to "shine." Mia was about to step onto the stage when her name was called, reintroducing her to the crowd, who yelled for, but she turned to Natalie.

"Someone tell you that? That you don't belong on the stage? 'Cause from what I hear about you, you do…"

Natalie was confused and was about to respond, but Mia had gone on stage. She watched her from the wing and before Mia played, she looked at Natalie and smirked. She grabbed the mic and addressed the crowd.

"Hey guys, it's great to be back in Tree Hill. The song I'm gonna sing goes out to a girl who I've recently met. And her brother has a message for her. He says _not to let him or anyone else get in the way of what you truly want. Whatever it is doesn't make you the equivalent of what you're afraid of what you'll become. The only one who can let that happen is you and nothing or no one else._ So, I assume that you know who you are…" Mia looked to the wing at Natalie and raised her eyebrows. "…this one's for you."

_Tears are forming in your eyes  
A storm is warning in the skies  
The end of the world it seems  
You bend down and you fall on your knees  
Well get back on your feet yeah_

_Don't look away  
Don't run away  
Baby it's only life  
Don't lose your faith  
Don't run away  
Baby it's only life_

Jamie watched Mia as she sang. His arm was wrapped around Molly's waist. He had a look of relief on his face. He was thankful that she granted him this favour. He looked over at his parents on the other end of the club near the bar and wondered if they had made the connection. Quite a number of fans had gone up to his mother afterwards asking for autographs, which she granted.

_You were always playing hard  
You never could let down your guard  
You can't win, if you never give in  
In to that voice within, saying  
"Pick up your chin, baby let go of it"  
Yeah_

_Don't look away  
Don't run away  
Baby it's only life  
Don't lose your faith  
Don't run away  
Baby it's only life_

_Don't look away  
Don't run away  
Baby it's only life  
Don't lose your faith  
Don't run away  
Baby it's only life_

Natalie braced herself for the next part of the song, which she knew very well. It was the part of the song that she would sing to herself before a test. She understood what Jamie was trying to tell her, but would she give in?

_Take your hesitance and your self-defense  
Leave them behind  
It's only life  
Don't be so afraid of facing every day  
Just take your time  
It's only life  
I'll be your stepping-stone, don't be so alone  
Just hold on tight  
It's only life  
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah_

_Oh, Don't look away  
Don't run away  
Baby it's only life  
Don't lose your faith  
Don't run away  
Baby it's only life_

_Don't look away  
Don't run away  
Baby it's only life  
Don't lose your faith  
Don't run away  
Baby it's only life_

_It's only life  
Oh, yeah  
It's only life  
Don't look away  
Yeah, yeah, yeah_

The piano finished the song and the uproar made Mia's smile grow. Natalie's hands banged together, clapping and whooping with the rest of the crowd. She bowed and walked off the stage. Natalie still clapped when Mia came to her again. Mia swung the guitar strap off of her shoulders.

"You were awesome."

"Thanks. You know that could be you…"

"I dunno." Mia looked at Natalie and sighed. She then recalled when she had stage fright, the first time when she performed. She remembered those 5 words that Haley reminded her of.

"You said you're a fan right?"

"Yes."

"Do you know the first line of **No Good**?"

"Yes." Mia raised her eyebrows to ask Natalie what they were. "I never feared the unexpected." Mia looked at Natalie and winked. Natalie had a wave of confidence flew over her and looked to the stage where she saw Peyton walking on. Mia looked at Natalie and shoved her guitar into her hands.

"Here, go on if you want and take this."

"Huh?"

"Your brother said that you play. Go, if you don't you might regret it. If you don't like it, you don't have to do it again. And if you love it, then you have nothing to worry about because you have a great family who'll be there for you…"

Natalie smirked and ran her hand over the guitar. This was her idol standing before her, telling her to chase a dream that she was certain she wanted it, but didn't want to pursue. She looked down at her hand and unwrapped it. The pain had subsided and when she removed the gauze, she saw the dry blood shining back at her. She then thought of why it was there in the first place. _**Whatever it is doesn't make you the equivalent of what you're afraid of what you'll become. The only one who can let that happen is you and nothing or no one else.**_She sighed and then looked at Mia.

"Thanks." Natalie entered the stage where Peyton noticed her walking on with a guitar. The crowd was doing their own thing, completely unaware of what was happening on stage. Peyton raised her eyebrows and covered the microphone with her hand. She was happy, but surprised.

"What are you doing?" Peyton questioned her godchild.

"What I should have done a long time ago."

Natalie smirked and dragged the stool that sat at the back of the stage and dragged it to the front, just behind the microphone stand. Peyton hugged Natalie upon her return and smiled. She then turned her attention to the crowd and spoke into the microphone.

"Natalie Scott, ladies and gentlemen."

At the sound of Peyton's voice, Lucas, Brooke, Daniel, Molly, Jamie, Nathan and Haley's heads shot in the direction of the stage.

"Knock 'em dead kid."

Natalie smiled and sighed. She sat on the stool and swung the guitar strap onto her shoulder. Once she was comfortable, she spoke into the mic. The lights blinded her, but she caught a glance of her family's faces. She smirked.

"Hey, uh…this is my first time." Natalie began to play. Her fingers grazed and strummed the strings. "This is for you, mom and dad. And mom, I'm sorry." Natalie winked at them.

_I took my love and I took it down  
I climbed a mountain and I turned around  
And I saw my reflection in the snow covered hills  
The Landslide brought it down_

_**Natalie can sing and play guitar? Did Brooke know about this? She looks like she knows something. Note to self, question Brooke later.**_

_Oh mirror in the sky, what is love?  
Can the child within my heart rise above?  
Can I sail through the changing ocean tides  
Can I handle the seasons of my life?  
Mmm, mmm I don't know  
Mmm, mmm  
Mmm, mmm_

Jamie's smile grew with every word that she sang. _Finally._ Molly looked at her best friend and grinned. The two of them were almost in tears because Natalie had done what she wanted. Jamie felt proud and his smile grew.

_Well I've been 'fraid of changing 'cause I  
Built my life around you  
But time makes you bolder  
Children get older  
I'm getting older too_

_So  
_

Nathan stared at his daughter in awe. When he first saw her get up on the stage his first thought was **who knew?** Now he was entranced by her voice. _**She sounds like her mother.**_ Nathan looked at Haley who wore the same look of awe as he did. He looked back at Natalie, he was proud.

_I've been 'fraid of changing 'cause I  
I built my life around you  
But time makes you bolder  
Children get older  
I'm getting older too  
I'm getting older too_

Haley watched Natalie and smiled. She listened to the lyrics and recognized the song as soon as her fingers touched the strings on the guitar. She cried a little at the beautiful sound of her daughter's voice. She looked nervous and it reminded Haley of the first time she played in front of a crowd. Haley gazed up at Nathan who returned the gaze. He placed a small, yet lingering kiss on her lips and the two of them continued to listen to their daughter.

_So take this love, take it down  
Oh, if you climb a mountain and you turn around  
If you see my reflection in the snow covered hills  
Well the landslide will bring it down, down  
And if you see my reflection in the snow  
Covered  
Hills_

'_**Atta girl tutor-niece. Way to beat the fright out of yourself. **_Brooke smiled.

_Well maybe, the landslide will bring it down  
Well, well the landslide with bring it down_

The song came to an end. Natalie stared out at the crowd and thought that she just might have scared people with her voice, before the crowd erupted into cheers and whistles.

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"Haha…OH MY GOD…Did you see that guy's face? I swear, I think he'll be scarred forever."

Natalie giggled at Molly and what her best friend was laughing about. She, Molly, Daniel and Jamie had just returned from the "midnight movie." They were at Molly's house and they laughed at the night's events.

"You did good lil sis." Natalie looked at Jamie and smirked.

"Thanks, big bro." Jamie wrapped an arm around Natalie and hugged her from the side.

The four of them moved into the living room where Molly had popped in a movie and mowed down on junk food, but not before Natalie had presented her best friend with a massive cupcake with purple icing, her favourite colour. A single purple candle stood in the middle and Molly blew out the candle wishing for nothing, but happiness in her and her best friends' lives. The four of them sat and watched a movie, Beetlejuice, an old classic. In the middle of the scene where "Day-O" played, Natalie looked over at her brother and her best friend. They were asleep and Natalie shook her head at the position that they were in. Jamie had his arm around Molly's shoulders. His head rested on hers and her head rested on his shoulder.

"I'd like to have that some day." Daniel voiced his thoughts. Natalie turned to look at him who sat next to her. He was looking at Molly and Jamie.

"What?"

"The closeness."

"Yeah…for me it seems so far away." Daniel looked at Natalie and sighed. _It may be closer than you think._

"You know that I'll always be there for you, right?" Natalie smirked.

"You better." Daniel smiled. Natalie leaned up to him and kissed his cheek and almost immediately, he attached their lips together. Natalie was surprised. _Oh shit._ Natalie's mind was all over the place. _He's your best friend. DO SOMETHING! _Natalie didn't listen to her head. She was surprised, the shock caused her not to listen to the voice in her head that told her that this was a bad idea. She broke the kiss and he looked back at her. He blushed.

"Say something…please." Natalie tore her gaze from Daniel and looked at the TV. She didn't know what to say. _What do you say to a guy who's been your best friend since you were in the 5__th__ grade? _Natalie looked back at him.

"So…what do you think of this part of the movie?"

Daniel's face fell. _Wow, what an awkward situation. Good job kissing her…idiot._

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The door opened to the house. Two individuals made their way into their home, lips attached to each other's lips. Nathan pinned Haley against the door, kissing her with everything that he had in him. She cupped her face and kissed every inch of her mouth, not wanting to miss a single inch of her mouth. He heard her lock the door so that they weren't interrupted, not that they expected to be interrupted. Haley pulled Nathan's jacket off. Helped her toss it to the floor and the keys that held in his hands followed his jacket. Nathan then aided Haley in taking off her own jacket and tossed it where his lay. They both slipped off their shoes. His hands roamed down to her waist and pulled her closer to him. His hands snaked around her waist, holding onto her back and pulled her to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hesitantly detached her lips from his. She turned them around so that he was pressed against the door. She moved her mouth to his neck and sucked on his weak spot, just along the jaw-line. He moaned as she continued to work on his neck. He threw his head back in pleasure and when he began to miss her, he directed her lips back to his.

He placed his tongue on her top lip, running it along her mouth. She breathed heavily and she granted his tongue access to her mouth. She moved her hands to the nape of his neck where she began to fiddle with the hair that made their lining. Nathan began to push his wife backwards and she followed his lead. They made their way towards they stairs, lips never leaving each other's. Nathan hoisted his wife upwards so that he could carry her. As he did, she wrapped her legs around his waist and could feel him against her. A rush of excitement filled her body. She smiled into his kiss and he walked the two of them up the stairs. He walked down the hallway and entered their room. Haley still had her legs wrapped around his waist and before she knew it, she was up against another door.

Nathan still held onto her waist. He moved his lips to her exposed shoulder. She held onto his head as he did his thing. She loved when he teased her. It made their time together all the more exciting. She felt Nathan move his way to the crook of her neck. He left kisses all the way up her collarbone to her neck where he sucked just under her ear. He knew that this was he spot to make go a little bit crazy. She moaned as he sucked her neck and she soon turned his head to land on her lips again. She still had her legs wrapped around his waist and soon, she found herself standing up. He grabbed onto her hands and placed them above her head. He was a little lower than her and she had to lean down to make sure that his lips stayed on hers. He intertwined their fingers and she held onto his hands tightly, afraid to let go. She pushed him towards the unmade bed, but before either landed, clothes had been removed. Nathan pulled Haley's shirt off of her and Haley had been working on Nathan's zipper. Nathan had helped Haley by pulling off his pants and boxers. Haley threw her skirt off to the side near Nathan's clothes. They both fell onto the bed where the final articles of clothing were removed. Nathan lay on top of Haley and he continued to kiss her. Haley had her eyes closed most of the time, however, she had opened them and when she did, she saw something that she had failed to notice before. Nathan noticed the look on her face.

"What?"

Haley grazed the marking that was on the front of his shoulder. It was a tattoo of a heart with wings. At the top of the heart was a sword stabbing it. The blade could be seen poking out of the bottom and the handle showed itself in the cave of the heart. In the heart were the words _**Always & Forever.**_ And on the handle was a date. _**05/11/03.**_ She grazed her fingers over the words and the date. He looked at what she was doing and caressed her face as she did. She looked at him and he smiled back at her. She brought her lips to the mark and kissed it. Nathan then grabbed her waist and pulled her on top of him. She kissed him with everything that she had in her. He spoke against her lips.

"I love you." It was so soft and full of meaning. She smirked into his kiss. "I love you too." Nathan continued to kiss her. She roamed her hands over his chiseled biceps. Nathan could no longer take it. He flipped them over so that he lay above her. He carefully entered her. His lips were still on hers. He took control. He began to rock them back and forth. Haley and Nathan were in sync with one another. Nathan breathed heavily and soon he could feel his release. Haley moaned loudly in satisfaction as she felt Nathan explode inside of her.

Nathan collapsed into the crook of her neck. They both tried to catch their breaths. Nathan lifted himself so that he wouldn't crush his wife. He brought his head down to hers and connected their foreheads. Haley held onto him. Once their breathing was in check and had slowed down, Nathan brought his lips back to down to meet Haley's. He was so content and a part of him was somewhat glad that neither of his kids were at home. He rolled off of Haley and lay beside her. He wrapped his arms around Haley who had moved her head to his chest. Her arms lay across his torso. Nathan stroked her hair and the two of them lay there content and fell asleep in each other's arms.

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**A/N:** Okay…so there you go. An update…I hope that you guys liked the last scene. Also, I know that the years don't correspond with the show, but if you realize weird things like me, you'd notice that every two seasons in seasons 1-4 is that one season is every 6 months. I had to make the years out so that they made sense with the characters ages…**PLEASE REVIEW! The MORE you review, the QUICKER I UPDATE!! **Thanks for reading guys…

Songs used in this chapter (in order of appearance):

Why Georgia (Acoustic Version) – John Mayer  
It's Only Life – Kate Voegele  
Landslide – Stevie Nicks


	20. 23

A/N: Alright people…here it goes, the home stretch

**A/N: **Alright people…here it goes, the home stretch. This is the final chapter and then we have the epilogue. Please review if you read…Thanks!

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_**April 27, 2025**_

Nathan awoke from his slumber. He squinted, not to let the light hurt his eyes too much from the sunlight that shone through the cracks in the blinds through his window. He could feel an arm around his waist and smiled as his eyes grazed the one who possessed the arm. He looked his wife's sleeping form and sighed. He lifted his head a little and glanced at the clock. **8:34.** He put his head back down to his pillow and wrapped his arms a little bit tighter around Haley's figure and try to go back to sleep. It was useless. All he wanted to do was watch her…and he did. What felt like 5 minutes, actually turned into an hour, Nathan noticed Haley stirring. He began to get excited. She was going to wake up and he'd be the first thing that she'd see. He brought his hand to her cheek and softly stroked her face. He caressed her forehead and his hand moved down her face. He could see a smile form on her face and her eyes slowly opened and she saw him. He was the first thing that she saw. He smiled at her.

"Hey you."

"Hi. What time is it?"

"Almost quarter to ten…hungry?"

"I might be." He smiled at her.

"Okay." Nathan began to throw the comforter off of his body, but Haley stopped him from going anywhere by grabbing a hold of his wrist. He felt her pulling him back and his body landed across the bed. He lay there in his boxers and Haley climbed on top of him wearing his oversized t-shirt. Their noses grazed each other's and smiles plastered their faces. Haley lowered her head and grazed her lips across Nathan's. His hands automatically went to her waist and her roamed his bare chest.

"Morning."

"Morning."

"Where did you think you were going?"

"I thought that you were hungry." Haley leaned down to kiss him again. It was soft, but firm and he smiled.

"You come first."

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Natalie woke up and gazed at her surroundings. Molly and Jamie still lay in the position that they were in from the previous night. She lifted her head and noticed that she lay on the comfortable couch and had a blanket covering her body. She looked around and noticed the 4th person missing. _Daniel._ Last night's events came rushing back to her. _He kissed me. _She grinned at the thought. _Why are you grinning like an idiot?_ She wiped the smirk off of her face and heard a cough coming from the kitchen. She rose from her spot and walked to the kitchen still wearing the clothes that she wore last night. At Molly's table sat Daniel reading that morning's newspaper. She leaned in the doorframe and smirked at him. Her arms sat across her chest crossed.

"Anything interesting?"

Daniel's head shot up at the sound of Natalie's voice. He turned a bright shade of red.

"Not really." Natalie walked over to the table and sat beside him. She grabbed his hand and he pulled it away gently. She grew confused. He stood and went to the counter. He stood behind it, trying to gain some distance between him and Natalie.

"Daniel…what's up?"

"It's kind of awkward isn't it?"

"What?"

"You do remember that I kissed you right?"

"Yeah…and?"

"It's weird now."

"It is?"

"Yeah, I mean. You totally blew it off last night. It was as if it didn't happen to you. I just figured that you didn't like me in that way…do you?"

Natalie looked at Daniel. She'd be lying if she said that she didn't think about them on a few occasions. She'd also be lying if she said that she didn't have a crush on him in their freshman year of high school, because she did. But, he had claimed to like someone else at the time and she got over it. She looked up at him. He towered over her by about 4 inches. She had blown off the kiss last night because of her fear of liking him again. _Suck it up_. She took a deep breath and looked at him.

"I don't know."

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_**May 2**__**nd**__**, 2025**_

Natalie stood at her locker, putting her chemistry and calculus textbooks in their rightful place on the little shelf in her locker. It was the end of the day, but all she wanted to do was go home and sleep. The weekend had finally come. A pair of fingers came and tickled her ribs. She squeaked and jumped. When she turned around, Molly greeted her.

"Hey you okay?"

"Not really."

"Things still bad with Daniel?"

"Yeah. He hasn't spoken to me all week."

"What happened? You guys were fine last weekend."

"Yeah, that was before he kissed me and told me that he liked me."

"WHAT? How did I not find out about this?"

"You were busy with my brother." Natalie smirked and Molly turned red.

"Wow…Daniel likes you. Didn't you like him? Why aren't you two together?"

"I liked him in the 9th grade Molly."

"So? It happened once, it can happen again. Do you like him?"

"I dunno."

"It's a yes or no question."

"…Yes…"

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Nathan walked into the silent house. It was 6:00 and Nathan had decided to take the night off to be with Haley and his kids. Jamie had finished school last week and was informed that he'd be graduating with honours and a job offer to one of the countries largest electric companies. He graduated with a degree in electrical engineering and his parents were proud. Jamie had decided to go out with his girlfriend and sister that evening, so Nathan decided to spend some time with his wife. When he entered the house, he noticed the dinner table. It was set for two and a single candle stood at the center of it all. He smiled and he entered the kitchen. Haley stood over the stove, making the sauce for the pasta. He smirked and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. She smiled at his touch and he placed a kiss on her neck.

"Smells great Hales."

"Hope you're hungry." Nathan smirked and slid his hands down Haley's waist and landed on her thighs. He rocked her side to side with him and kissed her shoulder.

"Very…" Haley moved out of his grasp and continued to make dinner. She took a small break to wash her hands. Her hair was tied up to keep it away from the food. He smirked. She dried her hands and turned to face him.

"What?"

"…" Nathan just continued to stare at her and he smirked.

"What?" She pressed on and he only looked at her.

"Wow…"

"What?"

"I can't even form the words to tell you how beautiful you are and how I'm the luckiest man alive. I'm so glad that you came back."

Haley's heart melted. She sighed and turned around to cover the beat red tone that made its way to her face. She took a deep breath and turned around, only to find him standing directly in front of her. She jumped a little bit at his presence. He laughed a little. Then trapped her in between his arms as his hands met the counter. She wrapped her arms around his waist and gave him a passionate kiss. His hands made their way to her face and they cupped her cheeks. As Nathan deepened their kiss, he found that Haley was pulling away from him. She looked at him with a horrified look. He became worried.

"Hales, what's wrong?"

Haley grabbed his hand and walked him over to the table. She sat him down and she stood opposite to him. He grabbed her hand forcing her to sit in his lap. He stroked her face, pushing her fallen hair out of the way.

"What is it?"

Haley took a deep breath.

"I…You know that I love you right?"

"You better believe it."

"I haven't been feeling well Nathan."

Nathan suddenly became worried…_What is she talking about? God, please don't tell me that I'm losing her…PLEASE!_ "What do you mean?"

"I went to the doctor's this morning before I went to work…"

"Wh-"

"-I'm pregnant."

Nathan's heart skipped a beat from the happiness and relief that he felt. He smiled widely and showed off his pearly white teeth. He lifted Haley up and threw her into a bone-crushing hug. He picked her up and spun her around.

"I'm gonna be a daddy again!"

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_**May 3**__**rd**__**, 2025**_

Jamie and Natalie had returned from staying overnight at Molly's house in celebrating Jamie's success. They kicked off their shoes, both being tired from the previous night's events. They threw their bags at the entranceway and heard the sound of their mother's laughter. They made their way to the family room where they found their parents in a loving embrace watching **She's the Man**. Jamie and Natalie stood in the doorframe with raised eyebrows.

"Wow, this movie is old."

Nathan and Haley turned and looked at Natalie who had voiced her thoughts.

"Hey, you two are home."

"Yeah…sorry we figured that if we came home, we'd interrupt you…"

Jamie explained to his parents, but he couldn't help but notice the abnormally large smile on his father's face. Haley turned to the two of them.

"We're glad that you two are here, we have some news." Jamie and Natalie looked at each other, afraid of what was gonna be told to them. They walked into the living room and sat on the comfortable couches, opposite of their parents. "Okay, well we know that this may come as a bit of a shock to both of you, but we're hoping that you'll be excited."

"Okay…" Neither Natalie nor Jamie knew where this conversation was headed. Nathan continued.

"Um, how would the two of you feel if you had a brother or a sister?"

Jamie and Natalie looked at each other, eyes wide open. Natalie looked at her mother and then down to Haley's stomach…

"Are you…?"

Haley smiled and Nathan squeezed her hand that he held.

"Yes."

Natalie and Jamie leaped from their seats and flew into their parents' arms, the four or five…of them quite content with being a family.

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_**May 4**__**th**__**, 2025**_

_I felt for sure last night    
At once we said goodbye    
No one else will know these lonely dreams    
No one else will know that part of me    
I'm still driving away    
And I'm sorry every day    
I won't always love these selfish things    
I won't always live...    
Stop it..._

Natalie drove her down a familiar street. A street that she often referred to as her second home. She smirked at a memory as she turned into the familiar driveway. She parked her car and sat in it for a little while. She leaned against the window, reminiscing.

_Flashback_

_12 year olds Daniel and Natalie ran around his backyard playing tag. Daniel was it and he was having a difficult time catching his best friend. She swiveled out of grasp many times and moved laterally to trick him. After about 10 minutes, he finally caught her and the two of them went tumbling to the ground. They lay beside each other and watched the stars forming from above. _

"_Look!"_

_Daniel spot a shooting star and Natalie caught a glimpse of it._

"_No fair…now you get to make a wish…"_

"_Now why would I do that? I have my best friend lying next to me…that's all I need."_

"_Very funny and charming I might add."_

"_Thanks Nat."_

"_We'll always be friends right?"_

"_Always…no matter what."_

_Natalie moved into Daniela and laid her head on his chest. The two of them just lay there and counted the stars together._

_End Flashback_

Natalie got out of the car and walked, nervously to the front door. She raised her fist and knocked. He door opened and Daniel's mother greeted her.

"Hey Mrs. Crimson."

"Natalie, I've known you how long and you still refer to me as an old woman. Do I look that old to you?"

"No. I'm sorry, Jenna."

"That's better."

"I was wondering f Daniel was home."

"Yeah, he's in his room. Go on up."

"Thanks."

Natalie walked up the stairs ad turned left. The last door on the right was Daniel's. She knocked on the door. The door flew open and she saw her best friend in sweats and a t-shirt. He looked surprised.

_It was my turn to decide    
I knew this was our time    
No one else will have me like you do    
No one else will have me, only you_

"You, I was not expecting."

"I was hoping that, maybe, we could talk." Daniel moved aside, allowing her in his room. He shut the door and she sat on his bed. "I was scared."

"Huh?"

"After you kissed me. You asked me why I **blew** you off. I was scared."

"Of?"

"My feelings for you, losing you. We've been friends for such a long time and to figure this out now…it's all surreal. I love you, I do but, is it worth the risk?"

Daniel stood opposite where she sat. He walked over to her and sat beside her. He sighed and grabbed her hand. She looked at him and he connected their lips. She kissed him back. He smiled.

"You tell me." Natalie smiled and she kissed him again. She's wanted this since the 9th grade and now it was in her grasp, all she had to do was give into it.

"Yes."

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_**June 25**__**th**__**, 2025**_

_You'll sit alone forever    
If you wait for the right time    
What are you hoping for?    
I'm here and now I'm ready    
Holding on tight    
Don't give away the end    
The one thing that stays mine_

The graduating class of Tree Hill High, 2025 all sat in the gymnasium of their school, waiting to be called upon to receive their diplomas. Natalie sat impatiently, and nervously. She smirked as she saw her parents and brother staring at her, all proud of what she had accomplished.

_Flashback_

_Haley and Natalie had just got home from school. They entered the house, tired from a long day's work. Natalie threw her bag by the door, which she would retrieve later to do her homework and Haley tossed the car keys on the small table that stood in the entrance way. They walked into the house and made their way into the kitchen. Nathan stood at the counter with the day's mail in his hands._

"_Hey Nibs, you got mail kiddo."_

_Natalie swiped the envelopes from Nathan's grasp and Haley went to greet her husband. Natalie wripped open the envelope and her eyes widened. Haley noticed._

"_What's the matter?"_

"_Stanford's offering me a full scholarship and acceptance."_

_Haley and Nathan smiled. They went to hug her, but she was opening another envelope. Another smile appeared on her face._

"_Another one?" Natalie nodded._

"_Harvard. They accepted me, scholarship for four years, 1500 dollars a year, plus they're gonna cover any costs of any extra-cirriculars that I take part in and pay for my textbooks in the first year."_

_Nathan and Haley smiled._

"_Congrats sweetie." Haley moved to hug her daughter and the two of them entered into a loving embrace. Nathan decided to wrap himself around the two of them. They shared a group hug._

_End Flashback_

_Amazing still it seems    
I'll be 23    
I won't always love what I'll never have    
I won't always live in my regrets_

Natalie was brought out of her thoughts by the principal's voice.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it gives me great honour to introduce to you this year's valedictorian. She has had one of the school's highest averages since her mother graduated not too long ago and has been offered scholarships from two of the country's top schools. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Natalie Scott"

Natalie arose from her spot on the stage and looked out into the crowd as cheers erupted. She shook the principal's hand and stood at the podium. She took a deep breath and then calmed when she saw her family winking at her. She calmed instantly.

"Don't worry, I'm not pregnant so I won't be going into labour as I speak." A small fit of laughter exited the mouths of the crowd. Haley smirked and Natalie smiled at her mother. "Good afternoon, graduates, teachers, parents and honoured guests. We all started this year with high expectations of ourselves and attitudes that had us holding our heads high, but I don't think that anyone could have predicted the stress and sleepless nights that would come. Not to mention the drama that took place within our personal lives. People believe that high school is the end. In a way it is. It is the end of adolescence, but it is also the beginning of a journey. A journey that none of us can predict and that none of us can be prepared for. However, it is something to be excited about and something to be afraid of. We have yet to come to know what we will be met with and when that comes, whether it is good or bad, we will face it with our heads high. What we have become to know as our lives to this day, is only a fraction of who we are and what our lives are. The choices we make and the people that we decide to be, truly defines us. The rest of our lives is a long time. And the rest of our life starts right now. Congratulations Class of 2025, we survived. And when we go out there into the real world, just remember one thing…don't let the bastards get you down!"

_You'll sit alone forever    
If you wait for the right time    
What are you hoping for?    
I'm here and now I'm ready    
Holding on tight    
Don't give away the end    
The one thing that stays mine_

An uproar of applause and a standing ovation was met with the end of Natalie's speech. She smiled and gazed out to her family who wore proud faces. She winked at the entire row of people who were there just for her and then she looked to Daniel and Molly who sat beside each other. She pointed to them. Molly let out a whoop and shouted a "yeah!" Daniel blew her a kiss, breaking his applause. He then quickly returned to applauding. Principal Turner came to Natalie's side and shook her hand once again and she returned to her seat.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Tree Hill High's graduating class of 2025."

All of the students stood and threw their hats. Natalie felt like she was in a scene from a film. She descended the stage and ran to Molly and Daniel. Molly threw her arms around Natalie, enveloping her into a hug.

"Best friend, you were awesome. I loved the speech."

"Thanks, even tough you had already heard it."

"So what? It was still awesome."

"At least she's being honest Nat."

Natalie smirked at Daniel and nodded in agreement. Molly felt a pair of arms encompass her waist and she shrieked. She turned, only to find Jamie smiling back at her. She kissed him and Natalie looked hurt.

"Great to know that you'd rather hug your girlfriend than your own sister."

"Shut up Nat, you know I love you. C'mere." Jamie hugged Natalie and kissed her temple. "Awesome speech bud."

"Thanks. Borrowed a few words from mom."

"I figured. The whole **rest of your life starts now** bit. She told me that when I graduated."

Jamie looked at the three who stood before him. "You guys checking out mine and Nat's debut tonight at Tric?" Daniel and Molly nodded and Jamie grabbed Molly's hand. "Okay good. I'm gonna take her away for a little bit." Jamie and Molly left and Daniel stood before Natalie.

"I'm taking you away."

_You'll sit alone forever    
If you wait for the right time    
What are you hoping for?    
I'm here and now I'm ready    
Holding on tight    
Don't give away the end    
The one thing that stays mine..._

Daniel grabbed Natalie by the waist and hoisted her upwards. She latched onto his shoulders for support as he twirled her. They came to a stop and shared an innocent kiss.

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The club was loud and that was only on account of the three families that gathered in the place. Tric had been blocked off to non-family members of the three graduates, Natalie, Molly and Daniel. Tables were set and banners were hung all over the place doting the "Three Muskateers." Laughter and conversation filled the place and backstage stood a nervous girl with her brother. She took deep breaths. Her two best friends were there with her, eve though it was their party. Natalie sat, cracking her knuckles out of simply being nervous. Even though she had performed before, alone, she was nervous about the song that her and Jamie were to perform together. They had written it together. Molly and Daniel tried to calm her down by saying calming things.

Lucas, Brooke, Peyton, Jake, Mouth, Lily, Little Haley, Nathan and Haley all sat at a table, not too far from the stage. They were all engaged in a conversation when Peyton left the table and walked onto the stage. When she cleared her throat, the noise had ceased to exist. People turned their heads to look at Peyton and to listen to what she had to say.

"Thanks. Ladies and Gentlemen, tonight we are here to celebrate the success of three people who we have all spent a tremendous amount of time with in the past four years. Anyone with half a brain can see the special bond that these three kids share and they survived high school, which I must say is a large accomplishment itself. So without further ado, Daniel Crimson, Molly Danati and Natalie Scott."

A round of applause broke sounded when Peyton finished. Natalie, Molly and Daniel walked onto the stage, with Jamie in tow who was carrying Natalie's guitar and set it on a stand near a stool. Peyton hugged each of them, knowing these kids since Natalie stared high school. She put the mic on the stand and Daniel and Molly pushed Natalie to say something. She shook her head and laughed a little before grabbing the microphone.

"Looks like I'm the one to be the speaker today. Wow, uh, I guess we just wanna thanks our family and friends for being here because God only knows what we would be without them. We love you all so much and thanks for giving us some of the best days of our lives." Natalie put the mic back on the stand as Molly and Daniel walked off of the stage. Natalie walked towards the stool that sat on the left side of the stage from her point of view. Jamie sat behind the keyboard, waiting for his sister. The lace noticed the two of them and paid attention. Natalie sat and her lips were leveled perfectly with the microphone stand. "Okay, so I guess you all are in for a _**treat**_ tonight. Uh, my brother, Jamie and I wrote a song together and we would like to use your ears as guinea pigs. Uh I began to write this song not too long ago. I introduced Jamie to it um, after he finished school and we continued to write together. So this is what we came up with and we hope you enjoy it. The song is called, ironically enough, _**Grief & Happiness**_ and we dedicate it to our beautiful, pregnant (she laughed softly) mother."

Jamie's fingers hit the piano producing a soft tempo. Soon, following his beginning, Natalie strummed her acoustic guitar and began to sing,

_Saw you last night  
You didn't know it was me  
Pain re-surfaced at the sight  
Of you standing ardently_

**Haley recognized the lyrics. She had read them than day in the gymnasium when Natalie left her sweater on the floor.**

_You wouldn't see me  
You walked away  
From everything you've known to be_

_Now I feel out of place  
Feel like I'm running a race  
When I know I can't win  
Seeing you again  
Makes me lose my place within_

Nathan held tightly onto Haley's hand. He saw the tears begin to form in her eyes. The lyrics were painful and he listened. Then, he heard his son's voice fill the place.

_You stayed silent for so long  
Maybe it's just all in my mind  
But, I wonder where we went wrong  
Maybe you're just wasting my time_

Brooke and Lucas sat with little Haley in Lucas' lap. She smiled at hearing her cousins performing. Lucas loved the sound of their voices. _**I have some awesome niece and nephew**__. _Brooke watched her niece and nephew and then looked to her daughter and smiled when she saw her expression the same as her father's. Brooke had not pictured her life to be like this when she graduated high school. _**It's better.**_

_But, I can't believe it  
No, I won't believe it  
It's just not possible  
You always said you'd be here  
Was that all a lie  
I find myself living with fear  
Don't say goodbye_

Jake looked at Peyton who was watching from the wing. He smirked when he saw her mesmerized by Jamie and Natalie's voices. _**She's beautiful. Jenny loves her and I love her too. Things are great between us. We've only been together for 3 months now, but I know that I don't wanna be away from her.**_ Jake put his hand into his pocket and felt the ring box. _**Someday.**_

Natalie and Jamie had gone into an instrumental segment. Tears had formed in Haley's eyes. Nathan held onto her and she looked at him. He gave her a comforting smile. He lifted her hand and placed a lingering kiss on the back of it. She smiled as Jamie's voice filled her ears.

_Ooooh  
I, I don't believe it  
I, I'll never believe it  
You are here_

Natalie looked at her brother and smiled as she began to sing her part.

_Pain  
Pain was what I felt  
When I used to believe those lies  
It hurts me when I hear your cries  
For me  
To believe  
You_

Natalie and Jamie's song went into an instrumental interlude again. Natalie had switched her guitar amp from acoustic to electric as the song became more powerful. She played her solo and when she finished, Jamie played his. As he did so, Natalie's playing had come to an end and their voices merged to bring the song to finish.

_You never left us  
You were always here  
The pain has subsided  
And so has our fear_

We are yours  
Skies are no longer grey  
Your smile makes me happy  
Don't let it fade away  
Never go away  


As the song finished by Jamie's keyboard, cheers and applause filled Tric. Natalie and Jamie sat in their spot on the stage and breathed a sigh of relief. They took a bow and smiled at each other. Jamie wrapped an arm around Natalie's shoulders and they both looked to their mom. Haley had tears in her eyes. She had never heard a song like that in her life. It wasn't repetitive and it carried their story. She mouthed an "I love you" and they winked at her.

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Haley and Nathan sat at the table that they had eaten at. They watched as their kids danced with Molly, Daniel and little Haley. Nathan had his arm around Haley's shoulders and kissed her temple when he caught her watching their kids. He smiled at the sight in front of him.

"What do you think Mrs. Scott? Glad you came home?"

Haley looked up at Nathan.

"You have to ask that?"

Nathan laughed at the sarcasm he heard in her voice. She answered his question.

"I can't think of a single place on earth that I'd rather be." Nathan smiled at her response. He leaned down and placed a chaste kiss on her lips. When he pulled away from her his glance on her turned serious. "What?"

"…Thank you."

"For what?"

"Coming home. Changing my life for the better. Giving me two beautiful children, with a third on the way. I dunno what I'd be without you. I love you so much."

Haley smiled at him as she kissed him again. She pulled away and looked into his eyes. She grazed his face with her hand. "I love you too."

The two of them continued to watch their kids on the dance floor. They smiled and knew their rightful place in the world. Nathan and Haley were happier than they had ever been and in 9 months, they'd have something to prove that happiness.

Natalie and Jamie looked at their parents smiling at them and the two of them waved. Natalie, Jamie, Molly and Daniel had decided to take a break from the dancing and they sat at a table, just the four of them.

"So, Nibs. Stanford in the fall with your two best friends. You scared?"

"Nah." She looked at her mother who looked back at her. "Life's too short to be afraid."

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**A/N: **Okay people…there's the final chapter before the epilogue, which, by the way, hold _**many**_ surprises, so be sure to check it out! Thanks for everything guys. Song used in this chapter:

23 – Jimmy Eat World


	21. Epilogue: More Than Anyone

Looking at the basket in front them, this person made their way to the free throw line, and positioned themselves ever so sligh

Looking at the basket in front them, this person made their way to the free throw line, and positioned themselves ever so slightly behind it. The ball came just above their nose as they breathed in the musty, thick, hot summer air through their already sweaty nose. Their hands were red and moist from being beaten by the sun, but it didn't matter. Nothing mattered when they stepped out onto the court. The heat went away, all painful thoughts vanished and the one thing that was in focus was getting the orange piece of rubber into the hoop sitting 10 feet above the ground and 15 feet away from them. Taking a deep breath, the ball was released from the grasp of the sweaty hands where it once sat. As the ball went into the hoop hitting the mesh, this person now wore a smile and went to retrieve it. Dribbling it as another shot has attempted to be made and all this young one could wear was a smile because all the pain the world has thrown at them has vanished. This young one looked at the basket that stood in front of them. They smiled and looked to their left and peered into the window of their home. They smiled when they saw someone smiling back at them and looked back to the basket.

"Scott steps up to the free throw line. Ravens down by 1 and all it takes is for this shot to tie. He shoots…"

The ball was released from the young one's grasp and it hit the rim, bouncing off of it and rolling to the opposite side of the yard. The young one ran to retrieve it, only to be met with a pair of brown eyes. The one with the brown eyes held the ball in her hands. A smile spread across the small one's face as he came face-to-face with her.

"Nallie?"

She wore a smirk on her face. The ball was still in her hand. She looked down at the young one and winked.

"Hey Ry…was that your free throw?"

The little boy nodded.

"Not too bad…but keep your elbows in and it'll go in…try it."

She tossed Ryan the ball and he dribbled it to the "free throw line." She stood in her place and watched her little brother sink the ball into the basket. He whooped and grabbed the ball and ran back to his older sister. He looked up at her and smiled.

"You here to stay?"

She bent down to be at eye-level with him. She nodded and his smile grew wider. She grabbed onto his small hands and pulled him into a hug.

"I missed you buddy."

"Me too. Mama said you weren't gonna come home 'til next Thursday."

"I wanted to surprise her."

"Oh…can I go get her?"

Natalie looked at her little brother and smirked. He was an exact replica of her. They both shared the features of their father. Fortunately for Ryan, he didn't inherit the genetic disease that ran in the family. Natalie ran her eyes over his raven black hair and looked into his deep blue eyes. He wore the signature smirk inherited from his father on his face and his expression was filled with hope and excitement. Natalie nodded to allow him to go and tell his mother. She watched as Ryan ran into the house. She watched after him and then she smirked to herself.

Ryan ran as fast as his little 4-year old legs would let him. He ran through the doors and they led him straight into the kitchen. He ran towards his mother who stood over the sink washing dishes and kept an eye on dinner.

"MAMA, MAMA, MAMA!"

Haley jumped at the sound of Ryan's voice yelling for her.

"What?!"

"Nallie's home. She's outside. Come see."

Ryan grabbed Haley's hand and dragged her in the direction of the backyard. They stepped outside and Ryan stood there, holding his mother's hand. His eyes wandered to where he left his sister, but she wasn't there. Haley looked down at Ryan and then kneeled to be at eye-level with him.

"She's not here baby."

"Yes! She is! She was right there." Ryan pointed to the corner near the fence. Haley sighed in sadness. She kissed Ryan's hand that she held. She grazed her hand over his face.

"I miss her too sweetie. C'mon. Come inside. You can help me set the table…"

Ryan wasn't moving. He stared hard at the corner where he thought for sure his sister stood merely minutes before.

"C'mon Ry."

Ryan turned and followed his mother into the house.

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The fingers grazed the keyboard. It was choppy, but that's pretty good for someone who was learning a new tune. They read the music well enough, but couldn't get their fingers to flow graciously enough to make the sound beautiful. They let out a sigh of frustration, placing their head on the keyboard. They let out a groan, angry that they couldn't prefect it. They took a deep breath and placed their fingers over the keys and tried again. It flowed better, but they couldn't shake the feeling that someone watched them. This one turned around and a smile came to their face at the sight before them.

"Nibs!"

The little girl hopped off her chair and went to greet her older sister. She jumped into Natalie's arms and Natalie spun her. Her light brown hair flowed down her back. She wrapped her legs around Natalie's waist as Natalie carried her to her bed where she sat her down and kneeled before her.

"Well Ems…you grew since Easter. And you're piano is getting better. Has Jamie been teaching you?"

"When he can."

"Yeah…he's busy huh?"

"Yup. Why are you so far away? I miss you." Emma hugged Natalie as she crawled into her big sister's lap. Natalie smiled.

"I miss you too."

"Let's go downstairs…" Emma hopped off of the bed, but noticed that Natalie wasn't moving. "C'mon."

"Actually…I was gonna surprise mommy when daddy came home. She doesn't know that I'm here. Do you think you can keep it a secret until dinner?"

"Does Ryan know you're home?"

"Yes."

"Okay. I promise." Natalie grinned and watched Emma skipped out of the room. She smirked. How she got stuck with twin siblings she'll never know and quite frankly, she didn't want to know. She got up and left Emma's room. She walked into her own room and looked around. Not one thing changed. The walls were still the aqua green that they had been when she left and her sheets were clean and unused. She sat on her comfortable bed and then lay down. She closed her eyes for a brief moment and took deep breaths.

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Emma trotted down the stairs, telling herself not to let the secret slip every so often. She got to the bottom of the stairs and went to the kitchen. Ryan was placing 5 plates on the table. Much to Ryan's content, Jamie would be joining them for dinner that evening. She walked past Ryan to Haley.

"Hi mommy." Haley looked down and smiled at Emma.

"Hey baby. Finish practicing?"

"Yeah."

"Good. Why don't you go help Ryan?"

"Okay." Haley handed Emma the forks and Emma set them near the plates. As she came to her brother she leaned towards him and whispered, trying her best not to let her mother hear what she was saying. "When she's not looking, put an extra plate. Nallie's home." Ryan looked at Emma wide-eyed. Emma smiled.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. She was in my room and she hugged me."

Haley looked over at her children who were whispering about something that she knew nothing about.

"What are you two mumbling about?"

The twins shot their head in the direction of their mother. They gave Haley innocent smiles.

"Nothing really, mama. Emma was telling me that she wanted to show me the free throw that I teached her yesterday…"

"Taught sweetie."

"Sorry, taught…"

Emma nodded and pointed at her brother. "Yeah."

"Really? 'Cause I heard someone say **upstairs**…" Haley raised an eyebrow.

"The basketball net on the back of Ryan's door mommy. The one daddy put up last week."

"I'M HERE!"

A voice cut off the conversation and it came from the hallway. Emma and Ryan ran to get away from the conversation with their mother. Haley followed the twins and watched as they collided with Jamie.

"Hey! It's frick and frack."

"Haha Ryan. You're frack."

"Why am I frack?"

"Duh, you're younger than me. So you come second."

"Only by a minute…right mama?" Ryan turned his head and looked at Haley to confirm.

"A minute and 48 seconds." Emma stuck her tongue out playfully at Ryan. He exhaled in frustration. Jamie laughed and walked towards Haley. Haley shook her head at Ryan and Emma and laughed a little. She smiled when Jamie looked down at her. He enveloped her into a hug and she held onto him.

"Hey mom. Smells good."

"Nice to see you too."

"I'm very happy to see you."

"Where's you fiancé?"

"She has one more final to write and she'll be home from Cali along with my sister next week."

"I still can't believe you two are engaged."

"Hey, you got married at 16. I decided to wait an extra couple of years."

Haley only looked at Jamie and shook her head, smiling. Jamie, Ryan and Emma walked with Haley into the kitchen. Jamie looked at Ryan and Emma and sensed that something was up. He looked at the two of them and noticed them staring at the room above them. He noticed his mother was completely oblivious and realized whose room was above them: Natalie's.

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Natalie woke up from her power snooze. She was awoken by the voice of her older brother yelling that he had made his arrival. She wanted to smack him, but didn't want to blow her cover. She took a deep breath, calming herself and laid back down. She rubbed her eyes and lay still. She looked out her window and noticed the blue sky. Not a single cloud occupied it and she smiled. It was kind of like her life at this point. There was not a single rain cloud in sight. She was happy and she hoped that it would always be that way. She rolled onto her side and felt something on her thigh. She smiled and reached into her pocket. She pulled out the tiny ring that Daniel had given her. They were still together after all this time. She was so in love with him and it pained her that she'd have to be away from him for another 3 days.

_Flashback_

_Natalie and Daniel sat in a Starbucks not too far away from their campus. Natalie was sipping on her White Chocolate Macchiato when she noticed Daniel staring at her. She slowed her sip and looked at him questioningly. He only continued to stare and he smiled. She stared back at him in confusion and in wonder._

"_What?"_

"_I have something for you."_

"_Really? What's the occasion?"_

"_Does a boyfriend need an occasion to give his girlfriend a gift?"_

"_No."_

"_Then…"_

_Daniel reached into he pocket and pulled out a small box. He handed it to Natalie and she smirked. She took off the red ribbon and opened the box. In it flashed a ring. Her jaw dropped. It was simply beautiful, plain and original. It was a silver band with gorgeous designs encompassing it. She looked at Daniel who wore a smile. _

"_It's a promise ring. Look, I dunno where our lives will take us and I can't see anything in my future except you and I wanted to let you know that. I know it's not much, I mean there's no diamond on it or anything, it's just a band, but it's engraved…"_

_Natalie looked on the inside of the ring. __**Always, no matter what… **__She smiled._

"_You don't have to wear it-" Natalie slipped the ring onto her finger and leaned over and kissed him._

_End Flashback_

She smiled and looked at the ring. She fiddled with it. She had taken it off to avoid any questions that her parents might ask her. She let out a happy sigh and put the ring back into her pocket.

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Nathan stepped into the household and set his keys on the table in the entranceway. He walked into the house and could hear the groans from his kids playing **Rock Band** in the living room. He walked into the living room with his arms crossed. Jamie sang as Emma played the guitar and Ryan played the drums. He laughed and shook his head. The song came to and end and they had received 4 stars.

"Wow, you guys did better than me."

"DADDY!" Emma ran to her father and jumped into his arms. He put her on his hip as he noticed her significant other rushing towards him. Ryan jumped into his arms and he held both of his kids in his arms.

"Hey you two. Playing with Jamie?"

"Yeah." They replied in unison. Nathan noticed Jamie who had his sleeves rolled up. He put Ryan and Emma down. Jamie and Nathan shook hands and then Nathan pulled Jamie in for a hug.

"How you doing buddy?"

"Can't complain."

"How's the fiancé?"

"She's good."

"Good. Hey I gotta ask you something."

"Shoot."

"Think you can keep these munchkins occupied while I say hi to your mother?"

"Sure thing, just don't let me see it."

Nathan patted Jamie on the neck and exited the living room. Jamie watched his father leave and then turned his attention to the twins.

"What song's next?"

HJSNS

Nathan silently walked into the kitchen and went and stood behind his wife as she cooked. Not wanting to bump into her, kept a small distance. He smirked that he had gone unnoticed for quite a while. She was chopping vegetables and he figured he'd wait until she put down the knife. She put it down and moved the vegetables near the sink. She gave her hands a quick rinse and then dried them. She turned and her face was met with Nathan's who had silenced her attempted scream with a kiss. She smiled and he wrapped his arms around her waist. She placed her hands on his face and let her mouth explore his. She broke away from him.

"Hi."

"Hello wife."

"Nice."

"What?"

"**Hello wife**? That's the best you can do?"

"Hey…I only got a **hi**."

"Yeah, but I was seductive."

Nathan looked at her defeated. _She's right. _She smiled and he licked his lips.

"Okay." Nathan kissed Haley again and then broke away. "Hello my naturally beautiful, kind, amazing, sexy wife," He smirked when he saw Haley blush and smile. "Better?"

"Much." She pulled him towards her and crashed her lips onto his. He lifted her up and she smiled.

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"KIDS! DINNER! LET'S GO!"

Natalie awoke with a jump. She heard her father's voice boom throughout the household. She smirked. Natalie moved out of her room and went to the bathroom to wash her hands and splash some cool water on her face. She popped a gum in her mouth and fixed her appearance by throwing her hair into a ponytail and letting her bangs fall to the side. She took a deep breath and descended the stairs.

HJSNS

"KIDS! DINNER! LET'S GO!" Nathan called the three who played in the living room. The three of them came rushing into the kitchen and took their seats. Emma looked at Ryan who spoke up.

"Mama, we're missing a plate."

Haley looked at the table to make sure she counted correctly.

"No, sweetie. We're not."

Emma cut in. "Yeah we are mommy."

"No. We're not."

"**Yeah you are…**"

Haley spun her head around and saw Natalie standing in the doorframe of the kitchen. Jamie moved out of his chair and greeted his little sister with a giant hug. She smiled as his arms flew around her body. Emma and Ryan looked at Haley, whose jaw had dropped as soon as she heard Natalie's soft voice correcting her. The twins giggled.

"Told you I saw her mama."

Haley looked at Ryan who was smirking in triumph. Haley looked at Natalie and saw that she had moved onto hugging her father. Nathan was happy that his daughter was home. He wasn't expecting her home for another 8 days and he was content that she was home earlier than expected.

"I thought you were supposed to come home next Thursday."

"Yeah…I lied so that I could see the priceless looks on your faces."

"Very funny." Natalie smiled and looked at Haley who was close to having tears in her eyes. Natalie walked over to Haley with a smile. She noticed her mother's stance. Haley was leaning, holding onto the tabletop for support so that she wouldn't faint from the shock or happiness that rolled around within her. Natalie laid a hand on Haley's shoulder and forced her mother to stand up straight. Haley took a deep breath and threw her arms around her daughter. Natalie put her arms around her mom and smiled. "Surprise."

"I'll say. When did you get in?" Haley released her grasp on Natalie.

"Around 5:00." Haley scrunched her eyebrows then looked at Ryan who wore a smug grin. Natalie looked between Haley and Ryan and shook her head while laughing softly. "Maybe you should believe the little guy when he's telling you the truth." Haley turned her attention to Natalie.

"You weren't out there when he showed me."

"True. I decided to extend the wait…" Haley raised an eyebrow at Natalie's remark. Natalie smirked and Haley shook her head.

"Let's just eat."

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Dinner had ended 2 hours ago. Right now, Jamie and Natalie were playing with Ryan and Emma. The giggles from the small ones echoed throughout the house. Haley and Nathan watched as Natalie tickled Emma and as Jamie and Ryan play fought. They smirked at their kids. The doorbell sounded.

"I've got it."

"Oh, no you don't."

Jamie chased Ryan, as he got free from Jamie's grasp to go answer the door. Jamie was a lot quicker with his longer legs. Jamie scooped Ryan into his arm and lay Ryan across his right hip while opening the door with his left hand. A swarm of bodies flooded into the household, each of them greeting him with a hug or a kiss except two. Brooke and Peyton pushed past Jamie and ran into the house.

"Where's my niece?" "Where's my goddaughter?"

Jamie laughed and shook his head. "Living room." Peyton and Brooke ran to the living room where they ran straight to Natalie who stood waiting for them and was completely prepared for their ambush.

"You're home!"

"Yeah, that seems to be what it is."

"Oh I missed you. So did your uncle and little Haley."

"Speaking of…where are my uncles and little cousins?"

Lucas had been leaning in the doorway with little Haley standing beside him. Lucas held one year old Sofia in his arms. He smiled as Natalie turned to look at him. She scrambled to her feet and walked over to her uncle. He gave her a kiss on the cheek and then she looked at Sofia. Sofia smiled at Natalie and began to laugh hysterically. The little girls clapped her hands together in excitement and Natalie planted a small kiss on Sofia's cheek. Natalie then shifted her gaze to the little girl who held onto her father's leg. She took a peek at Natalie and Natalie smirked.

"Hey you."

Little Haley made herself visible as she came out of hiding. The little girl that Natalie had remembered had grown about a foot. She now stood as a 7-year-old at a height of 4'5. Natalie bent down and pulled her into a hug, which she returned.

"MOMMY, MOMMY, MOMMY!"

A little boy with a fro of sandy blonde curls came running into the living room, passing Natalie and ran straight to Peyton. A man with the same coloured hair ran in after the little boy.

"Sorry Peyt. He ran."

Peyton had the little boy wrapped in her arms and sitting in her lap. She smiled at her husband.

"It's okay. Did you lock the car?"

Jake stood there thinking. "Yeah. Just before our little taz ran into the house."

Natalie still knelt before little Haley and looked at Jake who was looking around the room for something. Jake's eyes settled upon Natalie and he smiled. She stood and he walked over to her giving her a hug. The gold wedding band flashed on his left finger. It matched the one that Peyton wore. Natalie looked at the little boy who sat with Peyton and then back at Jake.

"John becoming too much for you uncle Jake?" Jake laughed and Natalie waved at Jonathan who gave her a wave back. The two year-old was identical to his mother. His looks, hair, smile everything. She smiled and looked around at what her life was. Her family had grown in the past 4 years and she was happy.

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_**May 11, 2029**_

Natalie sat on her bed, strumming her guitar for the first time in almost 4 months. She was a little rusty, but she could still play well. Her fingers began to get sore. _I guess that's what happens when you don't play for a while._ She cracked her knuckles and shook her wrists to let them loose. She began to strum the strings again and looked up and she saw her brother and father in her doorway. She stopped, blushing slightly.

"Hey."

"Why'd you stop?" Nathan and Jamie made their way to her bed and sat on either side of her. She shrugged her shoulders and put her guitar behind the three of them.

"Dad has a favour to ask us."

"Really? And what might that be daddy dearest?" Natalie looked to Nathan and he stood in front of his kids.

"Okay…"

HJSNS

The DJ played dinner music whilst everyone ate. It was Nathan and Haley's 25th anniversary. Everyone was at Tric and sitting at the tables eating. There was a dance floor with table surrounding it. The center was Nathan and Haley's table, set for the two of them. Natalie stood at the bar while Tom gave her, her sprite with lime. A pair of arms wrapped around her waist from behind and someone planted a kiss on her cheek. She smiled. She knew that kiss anywhere. She turned to come face-to-face with Daniel. He kissed her lips and could feel her tremble underneath his touch.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah…just nerves."

"Oh. Right. I forgot about, the thing…"

"Yeah. It's been a while and I just, yeah."

Daniel grabbed Natalie's hand and noticed that she wore the ring that he gave her. He smiled and led her to their table to calm her down. When they got there, the only thing that Natalie could see was the one thing that she didn't want to see.

"You know that there are kids under the age of 10 running around."

Molly looked at Natalie from kissing Jamie. She sat in his lap and Natalie raised her eyebrows. Molly blushed and uttered a sorry. Jamie looked to Natalie's finger and noticed a band. He raised his eyebrows.

"What's on your finger Nat? Is that a wedding band? Did you elope?"

"No, you idiot."

"Then what is it?"

"It's a promise ring you retard. Daniel gave it to me."

"So you two…"

"Someday…" Molly shrieked and stood quickly.

AHH! This is awesome! You two are so meant to be." Molly pulled Natalie and Daniel into a hug and they shared a laugh.

Nathan and Haley watched them from a distance. Haley smiled as she watched Jamie and Natalie laugh with their significant others. Nathan noticed Haley glancing and smiling and grabbed her hand, forcing her to look at him.

"You okay?"

"Yeah. I was just watching Natalie and Jamie." Haley nodded her head towards her kids. "You did a great job with them Nathan." Nathan scrunched his eyebrows in confusion.

"You raised them too Hales. I know you feel like you weren't there, but you were. You shouldn't regret the decisions that you make in life. We learn from our mistakes."

"I love you so much."

"I love you too." Nathan leaned forward and kissed Haley on the mouth. She cupped his face and kept it G rated. She broke away from him and turned her attention back to where Jamie and Natalie were, but they were no longer in sight. A throat was cleared and everyone turned to the direction of the stage. Lucas stood with Brooke and his kids.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I trust that you all know who I am. For those of you who have been MIA for a while, I'm Lucas Scott, Nathan's older brother. I was his best man at the second wedding. You know I remember when everyone found out that Nathan and Haley had got married. No one believed that they would make it. Funnily enough, they made it further than anyone thought and what's more? They're still like they were when they were young. Their youth still lives in them. They still want each other after all this time. They still look amazing, especially my sis in-law who's had 4 kids, I might add. My only wish is for their happiness and for their love to remain. And hopefully I'll be where they are when my time comes. Congrats you two…"

Applause was met with Lucas' final words. Brooke took the microphone as she handed Sofia to Lucas. She smiled and waited for everyone's claps to reside. When they did, she spoke.

"I dunno how I'm gonna compete with that. I'll try my best. You know, Haley while you were gone, I got to speak to Nathan a lot. I didn't know just how much you meant to him until then. The way he spoke about you was unexplainable. The look that he had on his face…only he could have looked the way he did, in love. And Nathan, whenever Haley speaks about you, this smile just appears. If she was having the worst day, all I'd have to do is say your name and she'd just change from sad to smiley. And a few days ago, I tested this theory and the same things happened. You two have something that most people take a lifetime to find and that's true love. I stand by what I said so many years ago. You two have true love and it's a love that will not alter. Here's to Nathan and Haley and hears to many more happy years to come."

As Brooke and Lucas walked off the stage with Sofia and little Haley, the curtains opened to reveal Jamie and Natalie with their respected instruments. A band stood behind them and Jamie spoke into the mic.

"Hey everyone. So, we were forced to sing to you tonight and all that we ask is that you hold your tomatoes until the end. We were only given one day's notice…well, that's a lie. It was more like 10 hours notice so we apologize in advance." Natalie shook her head and laughed. She spoke into her mic.

"Mom, dad approached Jamie and I this morning, begging for us to do this. So we ask that you and your husband of 25 years make your way to the dance floor for his surprise."

Nathan pulled Haley onto the dance floor and held her in his arms. She had her arms wrapped around his neck and looked at her kids. Jamie placed his fingers over the keyboard. He took a deep breath and began to play and sing.

_You need a friend  
I'll be around  
Don't let this end  
Before I see you again  
What can I say to convince you  
To change your mind?  
For me_

Haley and Nathan continued to watch their kids as they sang their wedding song. Natalie kept her focus on strumming the correct chords and when she finally looked up, she nodded to Mouth. Her and Jamie had something planned for their parents.

_I'm going to love you more than anyone  
I'm going to hold you closer than before  
And when I kiss your soul, your body'll be free  
I'll be free for you anytime  
I'm going to love you more than anyone_

"You happy?" Haley looked up at Nathan.

"You really have to ask?" Nathan smiled down at her and when they looked at the band on stage and noticed the screen above the band go on and a video was playing.

_Look in my eyes, what do you see?  
Not just the color  
Look inside of me  
Tell me all you need and I will try  
I will try_

_**Nathan, it's been said that there is one word that will free us from the weight and the pain of life. And that word is love and I believe that. That doesn't mean that it hasn't been hard or that it won't be. It just means that I found a stillness and a bravery in myself with you. You make me brave and I will love you, until the end of time. This I vow today. **_The video was of their wedding and the two of them stopped and watched.

_I'm going to love you more than anyone  
I'm going to hold you closer than before  
And when I kiss your soul, your body'll be free  
I'll be free for you anytime  
I'm going to love you more than anyone_

_**Last year, we stood on a beach and I told you how much I loved you and how I would always protect you. On that day, nobody believed that this would work, but I don't think that anybody understood the love I had for you because if they did, they would have never doubted us. So I wanted to marry you all over again in front of most of our world because today when I look into your eyes my love for you only grows. It's even stronger now. And that love will never waiver. And this I vow to you today, and always…and forever.**_

_Free for you, whenever you need  
We'll be free together baby  
Free together baby_

A flood of pictures flashed on the screen of Nathan and Haley together. The two of them, as babies. Them at their first wedding. Them, at their second wedding. Them, with newborn Jamie. Nathan and Haley with newborn Natalie. Them with newborns Emma and Ryan. All four of them in a recent family photo. A few photos of them together. Haley sitting in Nathan's lap at a wedding. Nathan tickling Haley. A photo showed up of Nathan and Haley with Nathan's wrapped around Haley's waist. She was leaning against him and a smile was plastered on either of their faces.

_I'm going to love you more than anyone  
I'm going to hold you closer than before  
And when I kiss your soul, your body'll be free  
I'll be free for you anytime  
I'm going to love you more than anyone  
I'm going to love you more than anyone_

The final photo that appeared was of the two of them kissing and then the screen went black. Claps and cheers filled the place. Natalie and Jamie stood and took a bow. Natalie winked at her parents and Jamie clapped and pointed to them.

HJSNS

This setting was all too familiar to these two. They arrived at their home after a long night of celebrating 25 happy years together, an accomplishment to most people. Jamie and Natalie had agreed to take care of Emma and Ryan for the night. Jamie owned an apartment not too far and it would give Nathan and Haley some much needed "quality time" together. Nathan and Haley walked up the steps of their house. Nathan was trying to find the key to the front door when he felt his wife's arms encompass his waist and pull him towards her so that she nibbled n his ear. He was trying faster to find the key. He found it and inserted it into the lock, unlocking the house and the two of them stepped, quickly into the house. Nathan took off the alarm and turned around quickly to be met with Haley's lips crashing onto his. They kicked off their shoes and ran to the stairs. Nathan grabbed Haley's waist and hoisted her up. He pushed his lips back onto hers and carried her up the steps. She giggled and he tried to keep his laughter in, but failed. He was much too happy not to smile or laugh. He tossed Haley onto their bed, kissing her. She pushed herself closer to him as his mouth continued to roam hers. He broke away for a second to remove his shirt. Haley sat up, helping his to unbutton it. Once their mission was accomplished, Haley brought his lips hungrily back to hers. Nathan rolled over onto his back as Haley placed herself on top of him.

"I love you Nathan."

"I love you too Hales. Do you know how much?"

"I can guess."

Nathan kissed her again, softly. "I love you so much."

"I love you more Nate."

"Not possible."

Nathan placed his lips on hers again. They were happy and together. All of the grief was gone and anymore that would come their way, they'd face it, together, with their beautiful family.

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**A/N: And it's finished…okay so my new fic should be up by Saturday. I hope you guys enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! Thanks to ALL of you who read and reviewed. For those of you who just read, I ask you to PLEASE leave a review for this final chapter and I ask ALL of you who read from beginning to end to please let me know what you thought of the whole thing and any ideas that you'd like me to write about. Your reviews are GREATLY appreciated. A special thanks goes out to 23naley03 who helped me out A LOT throughout this whole thing. And a MASSIVE thanks goes out to those of you who read and reviewed everytime a new chapter came out; you know who you are! Songs used in this chapter: **_**More Than Anyone – Gavin DeGraw**_


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